Maid for You
by luna-magic-2005
Summary: Inuyasha plays a prank on his older brother Sesshoumaru - by purchasing him a mail order bride! Except  something seems a little off about this one… Drabble series. COMPLETE!
1. Prank

Standard disclaimer applies. I do not own Inuyasha.

Summary: Inuyasha plays a prank of his older brother Sesshoumaru - by purchasing him a mail order bride! Except there seems something a little off about this one… Drabble series. SK

Maid for You

1: Prank

By: Luna

...

_Kiki's Special Bride website, where all your dreams can come true and all your fantasies come to life! Please choose the following options so we can best make the perfect bride for you!_

_Kiki's Special Bride Expressions (Choose all that apply):_

_1: Smart_

_2: Funny_

_3: Shrew_

_4: Cold_

_5: Loving and/or Nurturing_

_6: Bubbly_

_7: Stupid_

_8: Silent_

_9: Talkative_

_10: Other _._

Smirking to himself, Inuyasha chose everything that Sesshoumaru was not.

_Kiki's Special Bride Options:_

_1: Dominatrix._

_2: Elfin Queen_

_3: Maid_

_4: Housewife_

_5: Schoolgirl _

_For more options, please continue to page four! If satisfied, please enter your payment information below!_

Inuyasha snickered as he swiped the credit card from Sesshoumaru's wallet - the one that he stole earlier - and entered in the payment information. Then he considered the list carefully before he hovered the mouse over option number one. It would serve the bastard right. But then he thought of the shabby apartment his brother lived in and decided to be charitable.

He clicked, _Maid._


	2. Delivery

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

2: Delivery

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru scowled down at his credit card bill, wondering if Inuyasha had used it to buy porn again. He certainly never shopped at Kiki's. He sighed as he sat down to write a check, wondering for the millionth time why he supported Inuyasha's pornography addiction. It had started suddenly, so suddenly Sesshoumaru was a little suspicious about the fees. But any thought of subterfuge coming from Inuyasha was laughable, for surely the child wasn't that clever.

There was a knock on the door, and Sesshoumaru's scowl only deepened. He hated visitors. He opened the door, blinking when a box was suddenly pushed through the door, forcing him back a step. Then a petite blonde appeared that looked as if she barely graduated high school. Or maybe was still in it.

She beamed up a smile at him and thrust a clipboard with a receipt attached to it. "Sesshoumaru Taisho?"

"Yes." Sesshoumaru said slowly, staring at the bubbly blonde suspiciously.

"Great! Please sign here, sir." Sesshoumaru stared down at the paper, wondering what the hell this package was. "To activate, all you need to do is open the box. You'll be so happy with your choice that you'll never want a refund! My, and you chose wisely. Why, look at this apartment! Such a mess."

Sesshoumaru signed just to get her out of his apartment before grabbing her shoulders and pushing her out the door. The blonde stuttered, her eyes going wide. "Wait, sir! Can you assure me that you'll take care of your order as a husband would a wife? Would you? Do you?"

"Yes, yes, I do. No go away!" Sesshoumaru shut the door in her face. Then, through the paneled door he heard, "Have a great day!"

He rolled his eyes, then glanced at the box now obstructing his doorway. Then he huffed and left it there, and went to take a nap.

Whatever it was, he knew only one thing:

He was going to _kill_ Inuyasha.


	3. Sealing the Deal

Maid for You

3: Sealing the Deal

By: Luna

...

After a few hours, curiosity got the best of him. The instructions only said one thing: _To open, please remove the ribbon on the top of the box. Thank you!_

Warning: Your contract will be activated as soon as the box is opened. To seek divorce from your Special Delivery, please notify Miroku Inoue to start the process. Can only divorce after six months, any attempts before the designated time allotted will result in fees.

He was alone, so he shrugged and pulled off the ribbon at the top. The box opened up like a present, all four sides splitting open to fall neatly to the floor. Sesshoumaru stared, dumbfounded, at what now stood in the middle of his entryway. A young woman with dark curling hair was dressed in a French maid outfit.

A frilly headband nested atop her head, down to the black choker that circled her neck, to the form fitting black dress that hugged her slim shoulders and her perfect bosom, and flared out at the hips with white petty coats peeping out from the bottom of the dress that made it look like an upside down carnation.

Her apron was white and tied neatly around her trim waist, and lacy white stockings rode up her shapely legs to mid thigh, and black pumps encased her feet. Her skin was milk-maid white, her lips a pale coral. Her lashes, black as soot, looked like twin crescents against her cheeks.

Sesshoumaru blinked, and as if that action alone broke whatever spell she had been cast under, suddenly her chest expanded and she took in a great breath of air. Then her eyes opened, and he saw they were the color of the midnight sky.

Then she smiled, leaned over, and kissed him.


	4. The Return Policy

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

4: The Return Policy

By: Luna

...

Sesshoumaru avoided the girl like the plague, which was quite impressive seeing as how the dreadful girl never left the apartment. She flitted from one area of the apartment to another. It didn't seem as if she were doing anything productive, yet slowly the apartment cleared up. Garbage was disposed, clothes he didn't remember owning were washed and hung out to dry on the balcony, and dishes that started to grow their own life form were scrubbed and put away.

He eyed her suspiciously as she clanged around in the kitchen, the scent of something baking strong, but he didn't trust it. He didn't even remember the last time he went grocery shopping, so he was sure whatever she was cooking couldn't be good.

He stiffened when she caught his eyes and sent him a sunny smile, and he glared at her hard enough to make a lesser man cry. "Why?" He bit out.

Kagome, as he learned her name was, just cocked her head to the side and blinked in a way that shouldn't be adorable but was. "Why what, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Why won't you leave?" He snarled, and narrowed his eyes in a way that made her pause when she turned towards him. He was like a dog defending his territory the way he snarled at her every time she came near.

She sighed and shook her head. "I don't understand why you're asking. I love you, Sesshoumaru-sama. Why would I ever leave?"

Sesshoumaru, if possible, stiffened even more. "Because I told you to."

Kagome's expression twitched, but then smoothed so fast to innocence that Sesshoumaru thought he imagined it. "Nonsense, Sesshoumaru-sama." She smiled again and turned to stir the pot on the stove. "If you kicked me out it would be a breach in your contract, and the result would be a fine of over two point seven billion yen. In other words, your complete net worth. You could get rid of me, Sesshoumaru-sama, but the end result would not be worth it, I'm sure."

Gaping at her was an undignified expression, yet it was the only one he could muster as she started singing.


	5. Stuck

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

5: Stuck

By: Luna

...

"This is ridiculous. I did not pay for that _thing_ to live here in my apartment! I demand a refund and the immediate disposal of that nuisance!" Sesshoumaru snarled into the receiver, his back turned from his unwelcome house guest. It was one thing to speak like this into the receiver, yet somehow he wasn't quite able to face her as he yelled into the phone…

She _hmphed_ behind him, and he could feel her glare boring into the back of his head as she muttered, "How rude! I am not a _thing_! I am a biometrically engineered human being, thank you very much. Made specifically for your liking! Ungrateful beast."

Sesshoumaru ignored her.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama. But you signed the marriage contract and even said "I do" to a certified minister. If you really want a refund, per your contract you will need to pay the necessary fees." Miroku said apologetically, his voice oozing sincerity and regret.

_Liar_, Sesshoumaru growled to himself. The man is probably seeing money signs right now. "I did not make this purchase. My younger brother did and, child though he is, I will not be held accountable for it."

"But Sesshoumaru-sama, didn't you write a check yourself paying the bill? Unless your younger brother forged your signature, then we would be able to work towards an agreeable solution."

Sesshoumaru couldn't say anything to that. Fury was making the words choke in his throat. "This is ridiculous."

"This is legal." Miroku corrected gently. "May I suggest Sesshoumaru-sama reads before he signs anything in the near future?"

Miroku didn't get a reply, because Sesshoumaru had hung up on him.


	6. Concession

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

6: Concession

By: Luna

...

"_Please_, Sesshoumaru-sama?" She asked sweetly, her small body encased in one of his shirts, the cuffs going past her dainty hands and the hem falling to her knees. She looked like a little kid playing dress up. Or a very beautiful woman after a night of…

No, not going there, Sesshoumaru thought firmly. She was a nuisance, and that was it.

Her hair was still dripping wet from the shower he shoved her into, clothes and all, because she had invited him into the shower with her. Where she would be naked. And wet. And naked.

Bad idea.

But now she had sopping wet clothes and nothing to wear, and he didn't think he'd be able to stand it if she came out naked, so he put some of his clothes on the bathroom sink while the shower was running. Now she was _still_ naked and wet underneath his clothes, and for a moment he thought he'd do something really stupid. And carnal. And really, she was just a girl. He had willpower. He could resist her. Like white on rice.

Wait, bad euphemism.

And he's been celibate too long if this was how he reacted around her. And he wasn't even sure if he liked her.

But then she blinked those long sooty eyelashes at him, and gave him another smile.

Sesshoumaru sighed. "All right."

And handed over his credit card to go buy some clothes.


	7. Hurt

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

7: Hurt

By: Luna

...

"Will you stop that?" Sesshoumaru snapped as he waved her hands away from his shoulders.

Kagome sighed exasperatedly behind him, and he glared over his shoulder at her and watched as she propped her hands on her hips. She had gone out and bought stylish clothes, and now she walked around as if she just walked out of a magazine or something. It irritated him.

She glared back at him and huffed. "Stop doing what, exactly?"

"Stop acting like you're my wife!"

"I _am_ your wife!"

"You are not! I didn't agree to this." Sesshoumaru swiveled his chair around so he could ignore her.

She jerked his chair back around and glared into his startled eyes. "You had to have agreed. I wouldn't have activated if you hadn't verbally agreed to keep me and you wouldn't have opened the box!"

"How was I supposed to know some sort of doll was inside? My stupid younger brother ordered you without my knowledge, and I agreed because I didn't know you were what I'd get if I opened the box. Believe me, if I did I'd have sent you back to the factory!" He stopped, breathing hard, and felt overwhelmingly guilty when her face turned ashen and she took a step back from him.

She looked away, down, anywhere but at his face. "I'm not a doll." She muttered finally.

He didn't say anything. He just stared at her, guilt making him want to apologize, but pride kept his mouth shut. She looked out the balcony, her eyes following the flight of a far away bird. Then determination firmed her features, and she finally looked him in the eyes. "We have six months, Sesshoumaru-sama. I guess you'll just have to deal with me, won't you?"

Sesshoumaru could only stare at her as she flounced her way out of his office.


	8. Little Brother

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

8: Little Brother

By: Luna

...

"So who is this younger brother you keep mentioning? I've never seen him come over here." Kagome asked, her pretty blue eyes glazed over with boredom as she wiped at his already sparkling countertop.

Sesshoumaru sat at the counter across from her, rewriting a program from his laptop, and barely flicked a glance up at her. "He wouldn't. He lives with his mother."

"Oh?" He felt her curious stare, and when he looked up he'd seen that she had given up all pretext of cleaning and now stood with one shapely hip against the counter and her arms loosely crossed. Frank curiousity shone in her eyes. He looked back down at his screen.

When he didn't say anything more, she coughed slightly, and he sighed. "He's my half-brother. He's little more than a child, and loves playing pranks while hiding behind his mothers' skirts."

"Wow. I never pictured you as having a family." She said, and hurried to explain when he arched a brow at her. "I mean, everyone has a family, of course. I guess I just pictured you as an only child."

"I basically am." Sesshoumaru stated. "The years that separate us are considerable."

"Why did your mother wait so long to have another child?"

"She's not _my _mother." He said sharply.

"Oh." She blinked.

Then started cleaning again.


	9. Work

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

9: Work

By: Luna

...

"What do you think you are doing?" Sesshoumaru asked finally, turning sharply to glare at her over his shoulder. She's been flutterng at his back for the last ten minutes, pretending to rearrange a vase of flowers while surreptitiously peeking over his shoulder.

"What do you mean?" She blinked her blue eyes at him coquettishly when his expression turned into a glower.

When he only growled at her, she harrumphed and planted her hands on her hips. "I just wanted to know what you find so interesting. You're _always_ on that laptop or your computer. Don't you ever go out?"

"I'm working. And of course I go out. Sometimes."

She just rolled her eyes at him. "What _kind_ of work?"

"The kind that puts food on the table." He grunted, fingers already flying across the keyboard.

"Hardly." She snorted. "With the way your fridge looks, I'm surprised you're even _alive_. What do you eat, anyways? And you didn't answer my question."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. She threw so many at him that it was hard to decide which one to answer first. She leaned over his shoulder suddenly, pressing her soft breasts against his shoulders. Sesshoumaru swallowed his retort and went still. He moved his head just slightly to stare at her face from the corner of his eyes, and almost smiled at the concentration he read in her eyes as she tried to figure out what he was doing.

She blinked, then laughed.

"You're a hacker!"


	10. Introduction

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

10: Introduction

By: Luna

...

Sesshoumaru stepped out of his office, still a little perturbed at how _shiny _his apartment was. All she did was clean. When she wasn't cleaning, which was rare, she'd bug him endlessly until he paid attention to her. When he failed to do that, she'd swipe his wallet and went shopping. Not just for her, but for him too. It was still pleasantly surprising to wake up in the morning to a new present she got for him.

He listened to a knock on the door, and watched as she bustled out of her room to answer it. Sesshoumaru followed, a little curious himself. This was his first visitor since Kagome had been delivered.

They both blinked when they saw a young man leaning up against the doorjamb. He wore a burgundy Armani shirt tucked inside slate gray pants. His belt and shoes were Italian, and a gold pinky ring glimmered on one finger. His snow white hair was cut long and to look stylishly tousled. His golden eyes, fringed by thick black lashes, widened appreciatively when they laid eyes on her.

His mouth moved up into a rakish smile. "Hello, gorgeous."

"Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru said grimly.

Kagome swooned.


	11. Jealousy

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

11: Jealousy

By: Luna

...

Sesshoumaru glowered at the chattering couple sitting on _his _couch, drinking _his _tea out of _his _mugs. He seethed silently at every lame joke Inuyasha said that made her laugh.

"Sesshoumaru-sama made you out so much younger!" Kagome exclaimed. "I was expecting a _child_."

Inuyasha sent a dry glance at Sesshoumaru, quirking a high brow at his older brothers' tense frame. Sesshoumaru kept his expression blank, his eyes cold enough to freeze. He watched as Inuyasha shrugged and turned back to Kagome and graced her with another rakish grin. Sesshoumaru ignored her pink cheeks, her smiling lips, and her sparkling eyes. He tried to ignore everything about her, and hated when he failed.

Inuyasha's eyes swept up and down her trim figure clad in black capri and a light blue summer top. She had painted her toes a shocking pink, and flowers glittered up at them. Sesshoumaru hadn't even noticed she painted little flowers on her toes. He had only seen because _Inuyasha _had been looking. "Wow," Inuyasha whistled low. "They really make you exactly to order, don't they?"

Kagome's laughing expression froze a little when Inuyasha met her eyes again, his face full of admiration. "You can't even tell you're not real."

Something shuttered down in Kagome's expression, something Sesshoumaru caught but Inuyasha didn't. He was too busy staring at Kagome's legs. "Yes," She said slowly. "Kiki's does aim to please."

Her smile was polite now, its previous warmth missing. Inuyasha was looking back into her eyes, but didn't seem to notice.

Sesshoumaru wondered if it meant something that he had.


	12. Possession

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

12: Possession

By: Luna

...

They chatted for a little while longer, but Kagome was no longer actively involved. It seemed for the most part one-sided. Inuyasha continued to ask questions about her, wondering how she was tailor made for each man's preferences.

The smile that seemed to win a hundred ladies in one flash didn't seem to have an effect on Kagome anymore. Her responses were no longer offered with rosie cheeks and shy smiles. Her responses were glib, answering questions without really responding to what he had asked. It was an admiral skill.

The more Inuyasha sat there, the more angered Sesshoumaru felt at what he considered trespassing. Inuyasha might have ordered her on a whim, but he ordered her for _Sesshoumaru_. And Inuyasha knew that Sesshoumaru _never _shared.

When Inuyasha had enough gall to reach out a hand to touch the exposed skin of her calf, Sesshoumaru had had enough. Kagome sat stiffly, obviously uncomfortable, but Inuyasha didn't seem to notice. To Inuyasha she wasn't really real, so maybe he just didn't care.

But Sesshoumaru _did_.

Because Kagome wasn't just a doll. She was real, at least to him, and Inuyasha was being disrespectful.

Sesshoumaru's fingers closed tightly over Inuyasha's wrist inches before he touched her soft skin, and both occupants looked up at him in surprise. Kagome's expression turned into one of hopeful relief, Inuyasha's bewilderment.

"It's time for you to leave, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru said calmly.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked, still perplexed.

"Leave." Sesshoumaru repeated, his eyes never leaving Kagome's. "Or I will make you."

Inuyasha left.


	13. Frustration

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

13: Frustration

By: Luna

...

Things continued on as if Inuyasha's visit had never occurred. She still pestered him, cleaned for him, cooked for him, and her niceness grated on his nerves. Sometimes he felt her watching him, and occasionally her mouth opened as if to say something, but then she'd turn away and found something else to do. But she wasn't really _saying_ anything. He was starting to wonder if he should be worried.

It was finally becoming too much to bear. Her silence was unnatural, and though Sesshoumaru was never in the habit to kick a gift horse in the mouth, he was no longer certain he _liked _her silence. So Sesshoumaru slammed his laptop shut and startled her out of her current reverie.

"What?" He finally asked with a glare.

She blinked at him. "Uh, what _what_? I didn't even say anything."

"I know." Sesshoumaru said grimly, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "That's what I'm worried about."

"_What?_" She gaped at him.

Sesshoumaru used that moment to curse and mentally kick himself. When she only continued to stare at him, he threw his hands up in exasperation. "Never mind. Let's go. I think you still have my wallet."

"Go where?" She asked, excitement making her eyes shine.

"Anywhere."


	14. Date?

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

14: Date?

By: Luna

...

Sesshoumaru eyed her curiously as she munched happily on an ice cream cone. A bounce had been in her step ever since they left the apartment, and he was slightly suspicious at the cause.

"What are you so happy about?" He finally asked.

She smiled sunnily and scooped up more ice cream. She was the first person he'd ever seen eat an ice cream cone with a spoon. "Don't you realize, Sesshoumaru-sama? We're on our first date!"

Sesshoumaru, who had just stuck a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth, choked.

Kagome only laughed and patted him on the back.


	15. Horror

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

15: Horror

By: Luna

...

Sesshoumaru eyed the vase of flowers Kagome stood fluffing over. She'd rearrange the flowers, eye it for a second, then rearrange them again. Giving into the urge, he rolled his eyes at her when she wasn't looking and continued on to the kitchen to get a glass of orange juice. He watched her when she was done with the flowers as she crossed to the room to start fluffing the pillows on the couch.

He took a slow slip before finally asking, "What are the flowers for?"

"It's Mother's Day, silly." Kagome said with a smile.

"You are _not _a mother." At least he hoped not. _That _would be a little too much to take. "So what is this for? You're being more anal than usual."

"I am not anal!" She said, clearly offended. She sounded snippy as she added. "And I'm not a mother either." At his scowl she huffed and bent to fluff the pillows again. "I'm doing this for _your _mother."

The glass of orange juice paused halfway to his mouth. "Pardon?"

"I invited her over for dinner!" Kagome exclaimed with a sunny smile. Then she blinked at the look of abject horror painted across Sesshoumaru's face, and her smile faded. "What? You don't think she'll like me?"

"I think she'd eat you alive," Sesshoumaru said honestly.


	16. Nervous

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Maid for You

16: Nervous

By: Luna

...

"I hate you." It was hissed through clenched teeth, spoken with such malice that even Inuyasha would be cowed.

"No, you don't. Stop being such a baby." Kagome started gathering more cleaning supplies with the obvious intent to field day the entire apartment. Again. "You're just nervous. I can't believe you haven't seen your mother in years! What kind of son are you?"

The self preserving kind. But that wasn't really an appropriate answer. "Hnn."

Sesshoumaru played with the thought of keeping her in the dark about his mother - he wasn't even certain how Kagome got a hold of her in the first place - but decided to be charitable. He opened his mouth to warn her, when she suddenly turned on her heel and shoved a broom in his hands.

"Here, be useful for once!" She huffed. The teasing glint in her eyes had his own narrowing just the slightest bit.

Sesshoumaru kept his mouth shut.


	17. Dinner for three?

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

17: Dinner for… three?

By: Luna

...

Kagome fluttered around the apartment with last minute touch ups. When finally she stopped by his side, he searched for something nice to say, but it was awkward. He was not a nice man, and he generally didn't try to be one in the first place. It was too much effort, with rarely any reward.

"It looks… nice." He finally said, and when she sent a beaming smile at him for his awkward attempt, his shoulders relaxed slightly.

It was true. She had bought little knickknacks, when he didn't know, but when placed around his apartment in a slightly cluttered manner the effect was charming. Everything sparkled under a fresh coat of gloss and the roses she bought earlier were placed as the centerpiece on the dining table in a Steuben vase.

A knock sounded at the door, as soft and dainty as a birds' wing. Kagome's eyes widened in anticipation and a smile lit her face, but Sesshoumaru only felt dread. When Kagome opened the door, a petite figure as regal as any queen swept inside.

"Lady Taisho, I'm so glad you could make it! Or is it Aiko? May I call you that?" Kagome's exuberance bubbled out, only to be met with Lady Taisho's cool disdain.

"Aiko?" The lady sneered with an elegant curl to her lips. "Certainly not."

Kagome's smile faltered.


	18. Mother

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Maid for You

18: Mother

By: Luna

/\\\

The French perfume his mother wore was subtle and mysterious, her dress ice blue and made of silk. The white fur draped over her shoulders finished the image and lent her the ice maiden impression she was most likely aiming for. To Sesshoumaru, the message was clear: intimidate, not participate. She did not come here to be friends.

Her silver heels clicked on the tiled floor until they faded into the carpet. Her golden eyes were narrowed as she took in the apartment, and Sesshoumaru could see the disgust in her eyes just like he thought he would before she looked over her shoulder with a raised brow as if to say, _Really_, Sesshoumaru?

She shrugged the fur off her shoulders and draped it elegantly over the back of the couch, and her white hair fell down her back in an elegant waterfall. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kagome glance down at her simple black dinner dress and smooth imaginary wrinkles out self consciously.

"So this the hole you've hid yourself in." Aiko said, skipping the introductions. She then turned towards them and swept a chilling glance down Kagome. "How drab."

"Hello, Mother." Sesshoumaru said grimly, even as Kagome stiffened at his side.


	19. Pet

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

19: Pet

By: Luna

/\\

"Lady Taisho, may I get you anything to drink?" Kagome said quickly, eagerly. Sesshoumaru barely repressed a wince, knowing his mother was scenting blood by the gleam in her crafty eyes.

His mother swept a cool, disdainful glance down Kagome before she sniffed delicately. "Chardonnay."

As soon as Kagome went to the kitchen, Lady Taisho turned to him, somehow looking down her patrician nose at him despite the impressive height difference. "Must you always collect pets? It's _unseemly_. Be serious, Sesshoumaru."

"I _am _serious." Sesshoumaru said, surprising himself. He hesitated, then continued, "If you can't be kind, then be civil. Otherwise you can leave."

Twin golden eyes clashed and fought until finally Lady Taisho turned her head away, her chin angling in a way that stuck her nose in the air. "I entertain dignitaries from across the world. I'm fairly certain I can be polite for this circus show, though I hardly think she's worth the effort."

But she accepted a glass of wine anyways when Kagome offered one.


	20. Under Pressure

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Maid for You

20: Under Pressure

By: Luna

...

At first, Kagome seemed to work well under the subtle pressure his mother exerted. But after an hour, he could see her start to crumble. Dinner was cleared, and Kagome came back to the table with an overly bright smile. "Well! I know you two haven't seen each other in a while, so I'll leave you two alone for a bit. I'm just going to step outside for a second for a breath of fresh air."

The minute she was gone, Sesshoumaru leveled a glare at his mother.

Aiko raised a brow. "What?"

"Being mean to her won't make her go away." He told her dryly. He should know.

"Why, Sesshoumaru, are you telling me you _want _her to go away?" His mother's eyes widened as if genuinely surprised, and she leaned forward as if eager. "I can arrange it, you know."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes coolly at her and sat back in his seat. "I'm sure you can. Now stop trying to act like a mother, you can rest assured she's not after my inheritance." In fact, he ninety-five percent certain Kagome didn't even know about it. He doubted she even knew who his mother was. Or who his father had been.

"Don't be foolish." Aiko sniffed disdainfully and took a sip of her wine. "That's what all the ladies are after." Sesshoumaru's lips curled. She _would _know that.

When Kagome failed to reappear, Sesshoumaru looked out the balcony to see her standing with her back to them, shivering. He turned back to his mother and glared. "Behave yourself. I'm going to go get her."

Aiko waved a negligent hand. "By all means."


	21. Cold

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Maid for You

21: Cold

By: Luna

...

He stood behind her for a moment, and since he didn't have a jacket he awkwardly placed his arm around her shoulders and held her stiffly by his side. To his surprise she burrowed right in, completely relaxed and fitting against him perfectly. As if she belonged. He shook the unnerving thought away when she started speaking.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was muffled since she had burrowed her nose in his chest. "I just wanted to do something nice for you. I didn't think she'd… I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Sesshoumaru said stiffly. He hadn't expected her to make herself quite so much at home. "I can actually see my floor. I think you've done enough."

"But that's my _job_!" She exclaimed, glaring at his chest.

Sesshoumaru raised a brow at that. "Job?"

She shied away from the question. "Just something different." She said instead, her voice petulant. "I thought you'd _enjoy _seeing your mother."

Sesshoumaru felt the corners of his lips quirk up into a wry smile. "Believe me, the only time I enjoy seeing her is when she leaves."

He could tell she tried not to, but she laughed anyways. "I don't think you're supposed to say that about your own mother, Sesshoumaru." She told him chidingly, but the quirk in her smile told him she didn't really care in this case.

"You say that now," He said with a sigh. "But then again, she's not _your _mother." His mouth twisted grimly. "She's mine."


	22. Promises

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Maid for You

22: Promises

By: Luna

\\\/

"We should go back inside." Sesshoumaru said quietly, straightening abruptly. He blinked away the image of the moonlight making her skin glow, and the star light making her blue eyes gleam like sapphires. She was not beautiful. He couldn't see her as beautiful; in six months she would be gone, and there was no point starting something that would only end. And, in truth, he didn't really want her with him. He had been fine on his own.

And he had made himself a promise…

Kagome blinked up at him, stiffening a little. She brought her hands up and fiddled with the lapels of his jacket, hesitating as she stared at one of the buttons on his shirt. "Do we have to?"

Sighing, Sesshoumaru turned her towards the door. "You're the one who invited her."

Kagome hung her head comically and gave a little mewl of disgust. "Don't remind me."


	23. Inquisition

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Maid for You

23: Inquisition

By: Luna

/

"So tell me, little Kagome," Aiko started with a saccharine smile on her face. "How did you and my son meet?"

Interest sparked in Kagome's eyes. "Actually-"

"At the park." Sesshoumaru cut her off quickly, sensing quicksand. "While visiting Rin." He added when his mothers' eyes turned suspicious.

Kagome recovered quickly. "Um, yes. It was love at first sight." When she sighed dreamily, Sesshoumaru had to admit she was a good actress. For a moment there, even he had believed that.

"Oh, really?" Aiko asked drolly. "And that's the reason you two chose to marry? _Without _family present?"

Since he wasn't lying, the answer came easier as he gave his mother a smile that looked more like a sneer. "If you were me, you wouldn't invite you either." Kagome's mouth dropped open in shock, and Sesshoumaru couldn't help but add, "And you know it."

Aiko only huffed.


	24. Backbone

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Maid for You

24: Backbone

By: Luna

...

"How sweet," Aiko said in a bored tone of voice, but her eyes were those of a cynic. "Love at first sight. Who would have thought? How terribly original for one your age." She cocked her head to the side and the gleam in her eyes sharpened. "How old did you say you were again?"

Kagome fluttered her lashes as if shy, and gave Lady Taisho a girlish smile. "A lady never tells. _You _should know that, Lady Taisho."

Said Lady narrowed her eyes.

Sesshoumaru coughed into his hands. "I thought you had went on a cruise, Mother."

His mother hmphed and stuck her nose in the air. "That had been the plan. However, when I heard the rumor that my only son had got himself married, _of course _I couldn't go. Besides, I'm sure you know that sea air can ruin one's complexion." Then she blinked, and sent an apologetic smile at Kagome. "Well, _you _probably don't know that, do you, dear? At your age."

"You're absolutely right, Lady Taisho!" Kagome exclaimed with a beaming smile. "And it's _so _nice to finally be able to get advice from someone so _advanced _as you. Especially one so willing to give it! Believe me, it is an unusual gift to find amongst the gently bred."

To Sesshoumaru's everlasting amazement, for once his mother seemed to be at a loss for words. Lady Taisho's mouth opened and closed once, twice, before she shut it with a click. A reluctant look of appreciation crept into her eyes, yet all she did was take another sip of wine. "Hnn."


	25. Rin

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Maid for You

25: Rin

By: Luna

* * *

"Your mother," Kagome started heatedly as soon as the door closed. "Is horrid." Then she frowned. "No offense."

"None taken." Sesshoumaru said, and started to help her clear the able, a first for him. He was rewarded with a sweet smile that made him uncomfortably warm. "You are an accomplished actress."

Kagome flinched and sent him a look he couldn't interpret. "Yeah well, practice makes perfect, I guess." She busied herself with taking the dishes to the sink. "I don't _ever _want to have to do that again!"

"_I'm _not the one who invited her." He huffed. "If this Sesshoumaru chooses not to do something, remember that it is for good reason."

Kagome scowled. "But she's your _mother_. Aren't mother's supposed to inspire warm, fuzzy feelings of hearth and home? The kind that make you feel safe?" She gave a dramatic shiver. "I felt like I invited a viper to my house."

Sesshoumaru knew that that wasn't far from the truth. When Kagome started to clean the dishes, Sesshoumaru absently fell in line to help her. She turned her head slightly to look at him from underneath her lashes. "So… who's Rin?"

Sesshoumaru froze, and for a moment felt the ground shift beneath his feet, the walls close in. He felt suffocated. He cleared his throat before speaking. "My daughter."

Kagome squeaked in surprise, her soapy hands losing purchase on a slippery plate and causing it to crash back down into the sink. "What?"

Sesshoumaru looked down at the plate in his hand and debated. Then with a sigh, said grimly, "I'll introduce you tomorrow."


	26. The Pond

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Maid for You

26: The Pond

By: Luna

...

Her face was upturned and forever smiling, her eyes wide with innocence and happiness. Her hair was in a lopsided ponytail, and she was dressed in a kimono. In one hand she held a child's windmill; the kind that you could normally pick up at a festival; the other clutched the string of a balloon.

"She's beautiful." Kagome said, her voice thick.

"Yes." Sesshoumaru agreed softly, placing flowers down by the statues feet, before the placard that simply stated _Rin_.

Kagome's small hand crept over and threaded her fingers with his, and didn't let go even though he didn't hold her back. If anything, she held on tighter. "How?"

His eyes settled bitterly over the deep, still water of the pond. It had been winter. The ice had broken… "She didn't know how to swim."

"Were you with her?" Her face was stricken, almost as if his pain were her pain.

"No," Sesshoumaru looked away. "My father was."

Kagome gasped. "He let her drown?"

"No," Sesshoumaru said softly, sadly. "He didn't know how to swim either."


	27. Meow?

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Maid for You

27: Meow?

By: Luna

Days went by, and just when the tense atmosphere started to dissipate did Kagome present him with one more indignity; one more demand that he never before would have considered, and would continue to _not _consider. It didn't matter that she thought it would cheer him up - for what else could she be trying to do? But it was pointless trying to make him forget his grief by presenting him with something that he detested; animals were disgusting things. Especially cats.

If he didn't get out of here soon, he'd go crazy.

"Please?" Kagome pleaded softly, her eyes wide and glossy, her lower lip trembled just a little. "_Pretty _please?"

"_No_."

"Sesshoumaru-sama…" Kagome stepped closer and held up possibly the most obese kitten he'd ever seen. "Isn't he cute? Isn't he precious? Can't we keep him?"

"_I_. _Hate_. _Cats_." Sesshoumaru ground out, glaring at the obese kitten with malice. She was holding him up from under its arm pits, making its round belly sag and its fur roll up around its neck, almost making the little fat rolls engulf its head. Disgusting, he thought. It probably had fleas. He could practically see them jumping off its fur as he stared at it.

Kagome looked satisfied as she stared down at the nuisance. "I'll name him Buyo the 2nd. Makes him sound more distinguished."

"I said no!"

"Sesshoumaru-sama…" Sesshoumaru glared at the cat again since he didn't feel like glaring at her when she used _that tone _of voice with him. All it meant that she'd get the damn cat whether he wanted her to not.

Buyo glared right back and hissed.


	28. Escape

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Maid for You

28: Escape

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru found himself avoiding her - and that stupid cat - again. It wasn't exactly deliberate. But every morning that he'd wake up, he found he just couldn't face her since she'd seen the face of his grief. His guilt.

His shame.

So he didn't. He'd simply gotten up early one day a couple of days after the trip to the park, and took the train to his country house and knocked on the door and waited for the only other woman in his life who he counted on. The woman that had taken care of him those first few months, despite the fact that she had been grieving as well.

The door opened. The woman looked surprised. "Sesshoumaru! What are you doing here? Please, come in."

He nodded once in thanks.

Izayoi smiled and shut the door behind him.


	29. News

Standard disclaimer applies.

Thank you guys SO much for nominating this story in Dokuga's Best Alternate Universe/Reality, and Best Humor/Parody, and Chapter 14: Date? For Best Drabble!

And for those who have read my story Secrets, thanks for the nomination for Best One Shot, thanks for you guys too!

Maid for You

29: News

By: Luna

…

They sat around Izayoi's table, and he watched as she poured them both tea. Her movements were elegant and graceful, two of her most leading characteristics. At first he had been angry at his fathers choice to betray his mother for this woman, but after careful consideration, Sesshoumaru decided that he didn't blame the old bastard.

At least, not for that.

Her eyes, the color of dark chocolate, were down cast, intent on what she was doing. Then she looked up at him and gave him a smile. "What brings you out here, Sesshoumaru? You never leave the city."

She meant he never leaves his apartment. He shrugged away the concern he heard underneath her question. "I got married."

That was a lot easier to say than he thought it'd be, he thought. Izayoi just hummed as she took a sip of tea. "Yes, I know."

Sesshoumaru looked up sharply at her. "Inuyasha?"

"No," She said, surprised. "Your mother."


	30. Displeasure

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Maid for You

30: Displeasure

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru settled more comfortably in his chair. "What did she have to say?"

"Actually, not a whole lot. Of course, she blamed me for your lapse of judgment, but she said you could have done worse." Izayoi cocked her head to the side, her eyes warm with amusement. "I think that's her way of saying she approves."

Sesshoumaru had to think about that for a moment, shock keeping him silent. Izayoi regarded him for a few seconds before making a point to look over his shoulder. "And where is this woman who dared to steal Aiko's son from her?"

"I left her in Tokyo."

Izayoi would never scowl, but her silent looks of disappointment made him feel like a child, and he beat his guilt away before she could sense he felt it. "She knows." He said quietly. "About Rin."

"Ah." Izayoi didn't say anything more, her silence convening her understanding more than anything else could have. She set down her tea with a decisive click. "I'm going to meet her."

Sesshoumaru stared at her. "Why?"

Amusement danced across the lady's face, and she gave a little shrug. "Because I can?"

"Hnn."


	31. Idle Hands

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Maid for You

31: Idle hands

By: Luna

…

"Have at it." Kagome told the kitten with a scowl. When Buyo only blinked up at her, she gave a confirming nod. "You heard me. Go crazy."

Stupid cat, she thought bitterly when the kitten only curled up on Sesshoumaru's sheets instead of wreaking havoc. She stomped out of the room and flopped on the couch. Stupid man, she thought, and rebelliously set her ice cold glass of lemonade, dripping with condensation, on the bare coffee table instead of the coasters she had bought.

She waited a second, then two.

Sighing, she wiped off the moisture and set the glass on the coaster where it was supposed to go. She hated condensation rings, and she'd be the only one cleaning it in the end anyways.

The knock on the door startled her, but she was glad for the interruption. Anything was better than sitting at home like a loser because her husband ran away from her at the first sight of a chink in his armor. Heaven forbid she actually got _close _to him and found out he had actual _feelings_! _Nooo_, not _her _Sesshoumaru. Her Sesshoumaru was made of ice and rock and other things that were solid and cold, and emotions were beneath him. The jerk.

She was still sniffling and dabbing at her eyes when she opened the door.

It was just the take out guy, but as she settled at the kitchen table, her eyes flicked over at the laptop Sesshoumaru must have forgotten in his haste to escape her evil clutches.

A mischievous smile lit up her features.


	32. Izayoi

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Maid for You

32: Izayoi

By: Luna

…

"You're… what?" Kagome stared at the woman with disbelieving eyes. "You can't be."

Izayoi smiled at her as she set down her bag just inside the apartment. "I assure you, I am."

Kagome just stared at the beautiful woman who's eyes were lit up in amusement. "But… but… You're so… _so_!" Kagome gestured at Izayoi, who was the epitome of grace and elegance. If these were the middle ages, she was sure the older woman would be a princess. "And Inuyasha's so… _Inuyasha_!"

At that, Izayoi sighed. "Yes, that he is."

"And you're here because…?" Kagome couldn't quiet grasp what the woman was telling her.

"Sesshoumaru is being a little stubborn." Izayoi said. "So I left him at the house so he can learn a little lesson. I'm sure he'll come back here by the end of the week. In the mean time, I'm here to keep you company. He'll keep himself busy with work."

Kagome cast a nervous glance at his laptop. "Uh oh."

Izayoi's eyes followed Kagome's, and widened alarmingly when she noticed the laptop. "What did you do?"

"Uh, just a little pay back, I guess." Kagome admitted guiltily. "Nothing he can't fix."

"Because he left the apartment?"

"Because he left _me_."

"Ah."


	33. Bonding

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Maid for You

33: Bonding

By: Luna

…

"I actually speak with Aiko more than Sesshoumaru realizes." Izayoi told her over tea. Kagome was realizing that it was one staple that the other woman couldn't live without. She was glad that they had that in common; anything could be solved over a cup of tea.

Izayoi continued. "Sesshoumaru doesn't talk to her, so she calls me for updates every now and then. If she didn't, she'd never know how Sesshoumaru was doing. We talk often, despite her aversion of me."

"Why would you want to?" Kagome muttered before she bit into one of the little biscuits Izayoi had produced.

"I know she can be pretty bad, but she's still a mother." At Kagome's blank look, Izayoi elaborated. "I know it's hard to believe," She said, "But Sesshoumaru is the second most important person in Aiko's life."

Kagome's brow crinkled for a moment before she asked, "Then who's the first?"

Izayoi gave a wry smile. "Herself."


	34. Caught

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Maid for You

34: Caught

By: Luna

…

It was temptation she couldn't resist. It just sat there, day in and day out, sitting there upon the table like it was a shiny red apple. And she was Eve. She sat down with a satisfying sigh and opened the laptop before she could change her mind. If Sesshoumaru was going to get mad, then he shouldn't have left it there in the first place.

She logged into the now familiar chat room that she found the other day while she was up all night messing around on the computer when Izayoi couldn't catch her. There was just something about the woman's eyes when she disapproved about something that made Kagome feel guilty without the woman even saying anything. It was as if she _knew _Kagome was messing on Sesshoumaru's precious laptop, even though the lady never said anything in the light of day.

A ping sounded through the speakers signaling someone wanted to IM her, and Kagome opened it eagerly.

_Unknown: Kagome, I'm going to kill you when I get home. What are you doing on my computer?_

Kagome eeped and slammed the laptop shut, then ran to her bedroom and dove under the covers.

It didn't matter where in the world Sesshoumaru was, Kagome decided. When angry, he was one scary guy. But then an idea struck, and Kagome found herself sneaking back out towards the kitchen.


	35. Oops?

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Maid for You

35: Oops?

By: Luna

…

Kagome drummed her fingers against the top of the laptop, debating. Sesshoumaru probably hadn't expected to find her in his cyber domain, but now that he _had_... What better way to get him to come back? Or talk to him, at least. She opened the laptop and fired it back up. She didn't even have to open the chatroom up before an IM box popped up.

_Unknown: Kagome, seriously._

Kagome tapped her fingers on the table top nervously for a moment before letting her fingers hover over the keys. Finally, she typed in: _Don't you seriously me. Where did you go?_

_Unknown: Home._

_K: Uh, earth to Sesshoumaru? I'm home. I think I'd notice if you were here. _

_Unknown: A different home._

Kagome paled so suddenly she felt light headed. _Are you saying you have another family somewhere? I mean, I know you had Rin, but I never got quite as far as to image her mother…_

_Unknown: … Rin was adopted._ Kagome sagged in relief. _How did you get on this computer? There should have been a password you had to enter._

She raised her eyebrow at that. There had been no password she had to enter. _Nope. No password._

_Unknown: … Though I doubt the truth of that statement, whatever you do, DON'T PRESS ESCAPE! It's a little security measure I installed._

Kagome eyes lit on the little ESC button. Her finger hovered over it. Just when she was about to bring her hand away - disaster averted - she heard a voice calling her name behind her. Startled, she jumped, and her finger accidentally jabbed at the button, along with a few others. She stared at Izayoi for a moment, then at the computer screen that suddenly went blank. She paled.

"What was that?" Izayoi asked.

Kagome smiled weakly. She had wanted Sesshoumaru home... and she had the feeling she just accomplished that task.


	36. Eves

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Maid for You

36: Eve(s)

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru was mad. Really, really mad. Kagome could only sit as meekly as possible while Sesshoumaru paced back and forth, lecturing her. Izayoi was sitting at the kitchen, away from the feuding couple, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide in amazement as she watched Sesshoumaru. There was an odd look on her face Kagome couldn't quite decipher. A mix between fascination and... relief? Kagome didn't understand it, but couldn't exactly take the time to figure it out with Sesshoumaru ranting at her.

Kagome grimaced when he swung sharply around to face her, his face lined with aggravation. Kagome strove to appear both chastised and meek. She wasn't exactly sure she achieved it.

"Didn't I tell you not to touch it? Didn't I? Why didn't you listen?" Sesshoumaru answered before Kagome could. "Wait, I know, it's _you _who I'm talking to. What was I thinking?"

Kagome scowled at him. "What was I supposed to do? It was just sitting there. It was _begging _me to turn it on!" He stared at her for so long her ears turned red. "It was temptation too strong to resist."

Sesshoumaru sighed in frustration. "Well, at least you didn't mess with my computer."

At Izayoi's sudden squeak, both Sesshoumaru and Kagome's heads swiveled around to stare at the suddenly red faced woman.

"Ah," She gave a weak laugh. "Oops?"


	37. Dirty Deeds

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Thank you everyone who has voted for this years Dokuga Awards 2010! **Maid for You** has won a total of three awards! 2nd Place for Best Drabble, 3rd Place for Best AU/AR, and Joint 3rd Place for Best Humour/Parody!

And for those of you who nominated and voted for my other story **Secrets**, a big thanks goes out for you too because it one Joint 3rd Place for Best One shot!

Again you guys are awesome, and I hope you guys will continue to read and enjoy my stories!

Maid for You

37: Dirty Deeds

By: Luna

…

Properly chastised, both women were banned to the living room while Sesshoumaru holed himself into the office to undo the damage the two women inflicted. Izayoi had apparently accidentally logged onto a dirty website. When a banner had read 'Housewives Uncut', she had naturally assumed the site was about housewives, and had no idea the site broadcasted naughty things.

Now there was a constant stream of dirty popup ads that she hadn't known how to stop, so when Sesshoumaru had gone into his office to see what the damage was, there had been over a hundred pop up ads that cluttered the screen. Sesshoumaru was so angry and flustered his cheeks were actually flushed, but he had taken one look at Izayoi's tear filled eyes and, instead of yelling, he threw his hands up in the air and slammed the office door shut. He's been in there ever since.

Kagome consoled herself with the fact that _she _only color coated his computer pink with little fat Buyo's that jiggled across the screen whenever the screensaver turned on. Well, and subscribed him for a few magazines he probably didn't want... But he didn't know about that just yet.

Izayoi sighed and rose. She had already packed her bags and they were sitting by the door. "I better go. Inuyasha is due by the house any day now."

Kagome looked at her curiously. "Sesshoumaru made it sound as if Inuyasha lived with you."

"Oh no, not at the house. He only goes there on the weekends. For the most part he stays in our apartment here in the city."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Geez, just how many places do you guys own?"

Smiling gently, Izayoi debated for a moment before deciding to prolong her departure just a bit and sat back down. She looked up at Kagome. "My dear, I don't actually own any of the properties. Sesshoumaru does."

Floundering, Kagome searched for words. "But… Inuyasha doesn't seem the type to… you know, take anything _willingly _from Sesshoumaru."

Izayoi sighed. "Well, yes, my dear. That's exactly why Inuyasha _doesn't _know." She arched a brow at Kagome. "And I would appreciate it if you can keep it that way."


	38. Mistress

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Maid for You

38: Mistress

By: Luna

…

"You see," Izayoi started, calmly pouring more tea. "I don't quite actually have a job. Not a real one, anyways. I have a little advice column in the local paper where the house is. Other than that, Sesshoumaru takes care of everything."

Kagome contemplated that. "Just… how rich is Sesshoumaru-sama? I mean, I was told his net worth, but even that seems a bit small compared to what it would take to maintain two apartments and a house in the country, plus three dependents."

Though Izayoi raised her brow at Kagome's comment of net worth, she only shrugged. "More than you can imagine. Sesshoumaru's father left him quite a legacy. One Sesshoumaru seems happy to let his mother take care of until he's ready to take over."

"If Sesshoumaru doesn't want the company, or whatever it is," Kagome started. "Then why not let Inuyasha have a go? I mean, from the way he dresses, I'm assuming he has his own job."

"No." Izayoi shook her head. "I pay all the expenses; therefore Sesshoumaru does."

"Wow, that's pretty spoiled." Kagome blushed suddenly at the rude words, but when Izayoi waved them away she relaxed. "Okay, but why doesn't he take over the company?"

"That will never happen." said Izayoi resolutely. "You see, Kagome, I never married Inu no Taisho. He never divorced Aiko. Inuyasha has no right to Sesshoumaru's legacy."

At Kagome's uncomprehending look, Izayoi quietly said, "I was Taisho's mistress, Kagome. And Inuyasha is his bastard."


	39. Shock and Awe

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Maid for You

39: Shock and Awe

By: Luna

…

"What?" Kagome's voice was nothing but a squeak. "But then why…"

"Is Sesshoumaru supporting us?" Izayoi supplied helpfully. "At first, he didn't. Taisho-sama took care of us very well. Until one day we found our accounts closed, and all the money taken out."

She didn't exactly answer Kagome's query, but the question was so neatly avoided that Kagome didn't want to bring it up again and possibly miss an opportunity to learn more about her husband. So instead she asked, "What happened?"

"Those accounts were both in my and Taisho-sama's name - therefore in Lady Aiko's name as well. When he died, Aiko took the money and made sure I didn't see a single cent of it." Izayoi ignored Kagome's gasp of outrage. She looked kindly up at Kagome. "Thank you for being angry, but you need to see it from Aiko's point of view. Her husband was keeping a mistress, and he wasn't very subtle about it. There was no love lost between them, to be sure, but Aiko is first and foremost as much of a politician as her father had been. One can only imagine how she looked in the eyes of both friends and adversaries. I'm sure she suffered a lot of embarrassment because of me."

"Then… why did you become his mistress?" Kagome asked. The elegant lady before her hardly seemed the type.

"My family disowned me." Izayoi started, her eyes downcast. "And I was alone." She sighed despondently. "And when you're desperate…" She shrugged. "You do desperate things."

"Ah." Kagome sighed sadly. "That, I understand perfectly."


	40. Dig Deeper

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Maid for You

40: Dig deeper

By: Luna

…

"You stayed with him," Kagome prodded, ignoring Izayoi's questioning look. "Why?"

Izayoi laughed lightly. "Why else? He was this big, handsome man, and he took care of me. It was very easy to fall in love with him. I knew he loved me, too. Aiko didn't mind a few indiscretions here and there, but when he started to spend more time with the family that he was creating on the side, and ignoring the family that he already had… well. Like I said; Sesshoumaru is the second most important person in her life. She was very particular about how he was raised. And she was _very _upset about the attention Taisho-sama paid to him. Or lack thereof."

"He didn't pay attention to Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome asked, aghast. "But why? Sesshoumaru doesn't really say much, but… I guess I just assumed that he looked up to his father and missed him. I hadn't thought… Why didn't he pay attention to him?"

Izayoi's eyes were sad. "In such careful care, Aiko had missed something entirely in the reason Taisho-sama went to me."

"Which is?"

"Their marriage was not a love match. She had money. He had money, but he wanted _more_. She is the daughter of a very rich politician, and Taisho-sama needed that connection. So they married. Aiko produced the heir he needed, as required per their prenuptial agreement. Except… He was _too _much like his mother." Izayoi said quietly. "And Taisho-sama did not approve at all."

"He didn't like Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome whispered.

Izayoi shook her head. "He didn't _love _him." She paused. "Until he had met Rin. And he started thinking that maybe Sesshoumaru wasn't so bad after all, that maybe he wasn't so much like Aiko as Taisho-sama feared. They started spending time together, the three of them. During the winter festival, Sesshoumaru had gotten angry and left the two alone."

Kagome gasped with sudden understanding. "The pond."

"Yes." Izayoi said. "Sesshoumaru _left _them. Because he was angry. And he hasn't been able to forgive himself since."


	41. Hope

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Maid for You

41: Hope

By: Luna

…

Izayoi stood. "I really need to go now. Inuyasha doesn't necessarily know where I am. He assumes I spend my days doing leisure activity."

Kagome wanted to know more about the family, but now was obviously not a good time. Izayoi has said all that she was going to say. "Why don't you tell him the truth?"

"Inuyasha resents Sesshoumaru." Izayoi said, and continued with a humorless smile on her face. "The brother with the silver spoon born in his mouth. He knows that I was a mistress, but he looked up to his father so much… it would crush him to know that, in the end, his father didn't take care of him at all."

"He doesn't know how lucky he is," Kagome said earnestly, earning Izayoi's beaming smile.

"How right you are," Izayoi beamed. "Either way, _you _need to keep doing what ever it is you've been doing."

"What do you mean?" She hasn't been anything... but herself.

Izayoi hesitated. "I've never seen him yell at someone like that."

"Gee, I feel so special." Kagome said dryly.

Izayoi leaned forward, her eyes almost pleading for Kagome to understand. "No, I mean _never_. Not even with Rin. I had been so afraid for him, so worried. He grew up thinking it was normal to lock away ones feelings; to shut yourself away from the world every time you hurt. He grew up sharing his mothers understanding that love was unnecessary, that achievement was all a man should strive for. To be the best, _always_."

Izayoi hesitated again, but she continued. "Sesshoumaru is a very cold man, Kagome. He _never _yells. He never even raises his voice louder than monotone." She paused. "And yet, he yelled at _you_. So it makes one such as I, who knows him so well, to wonder: Why would such a cold, quiet man raise his voice over such a tiny matter? He can easily fix the damage. Why did he express himself in such a way that was completely out of character? One, I think he missed you, for he came back much quicker than I thought he would. Two… I think it's because he's starting to care again, to open himself up again. He cares, Kagome, even if he doesn't know how to express himself appropriately."

"About his computer." Kagome felt she had to point out. Hope was a carnivorous emotion, and it could eat you alive if you let it. She wasn't quite up to the risk just yet.

"_No_." Izayoi said emphatically. "Because it was _you_. He felt comfortable enough to yell at you. He certainly doesn't yell at me, and he doesn't yell at Inuyasha either. When a person expresses anger, they are, in a sense, revealling themselves; therefore they show vulnerability. Opening up themselves for expression. Sesshoumaru would never have done that before." Izayoi reached out and squeezed her hand. "Whatever you're doing, keep it up! He'll fall in love with you before you know it, and, I suspect, before he knows it as well."

Kagome's mouth dropped open, but before she could retort her cheeks were kissed and Izayoi had disappeared outside the door.


	42. Devil

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

42: Devil

By: Luna

…

A knock sounded on the door, and since Kagome was out shopping he had to get up to get it. Izayoi had barely left the other day. Sesshoumaru was not in the mood for any more visitors. He was scowling when he opened the door, and it only deepened when Inuyasha swaggered in and plopped down on the couch.

"So… where's Kagome?" He asked lazily.

"Out." Sesshoumaru turned his back and went back to his laptop.

"When is she gonna get back?" When Sesshoumaru raised his eyes to stare silently at his little brother, Inuyasha quirked a grin and shrugged. "What? Admit it, you didn't even want her in the first place. Share a little, big bro."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha, then opened his mouth to deliver a cutting retort. Sesshoumaru gave Inuyasha many things, whether he knew it or not, but Kagome would _never _be one of them. "I don't-"

Kagome came in with an armful of takeout at that moment, chattering cheerfully as she unloaded the food on the counter next to Sesshoumaru. She still hadn't seen Inuyasha. Still chattering, she looked down when Buyo lumbered over to her. She picked him up and cooed to the kitten as she disappeared into her bedroom.

Both brothers stared at the door, Sesshoumaru in exasperation, Inuyasha with incredulity. Inuyasha blurted out, "What the hell was that?"

"The devil." Sesshoumaru told him solemnly, but his eyes were warm. Inuyasha sputtered out a laugh before looking back up at his brother.

"Can I get one?"


	43. Opponent

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

43: Opponent

By: Luna

…

"Sesshoumaru-sama, you never answered my question!" Kagome exclaimed as she emerged from the bedroom, fat kitten in tow.

When both brothers blinked at her, she stopped and blinked back. "What?"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and turned back to his laptop, even though he wasn't doing anything except playing online chess. His opponent was a tough one, and he wasn't really sure if he'd win. Kagome pulled out her cell phone to punch something in, making Sesshoumaru frown. He hadn't even been aware she _had _a cell phone. Who was she talking to?

He turned back to his laptop and told himself he didn't care.

"So Inuyasha, what brings you here?" She asked as she sat on the couch. She barely gave him a passing smile before she glanced back down at her phone and punched something else in. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, absently making a move on the digital board, his mind racing wondering who she was texting with that required her complete concentration. Had she met a man while out on one of her shopping excursions? Was she now texting him despite being in the same room as her _husband?_

Sesshoumaru almost snarled.

"I'm here to see you!" Inuyasha exclaimed, sending her a roguish smile - that went completely unappreciated since she wasn't even looking at him, which would normally have pacified Sesshoumaru if she hadn't been talking with some other faceless man.

Sesshoumaru scowled down at his laptop as an emoticon popped up on the screen with the words _You Lose! _flashing underneath it. He should have been paying attention to the game rather than who Kagome chose to talk to… on a phone he hadn't known about, with a guy he's never seen.

_Damn._

Kagome looked up then and smiled at Sesshoumaru, her voice sing-song as she chirped, "Check mate, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Sesshoumaru could only stare, before he turned away to hide his smile.


	44. Brother in Arms?

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

44: Brother in Arms?

By: Luna

…

Buyo lumbered over to Sesshoumaru and sat at his feet, and together they glared at Inuyasha as he flirted with Kagome.

When Inuyasha looked down and spotted Buyo his eyes lit up. He had always loved animals. "Ooh, what'd you get there?" He leaned down to pick him up, but Buyo puffed out and hissed, swiping at Inuyasha's outstretched hands. "Ouch. Got a little hellion on your hands."

Maybe, but Sesshoumaru was momentarily happy about the little cat. It didn't seem to like his brother that much either. "Not your problem."

Inuyasha scowled at both of them while Kagome looked as if she were trying not to laugh. "I thought you didn't even like cats. You had some stupid rule about no animals, if I recall correctly."

Sesshoumaru looked down at the little kitten who was, for the moment, on his side. And thought of Kagome. "My house, my rules." He said with a sniff. "I can break them if I want to."


	45. Stay

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

45: Stay

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru jolted awake from the dream that had him tossing and turning in his sleep. He rubbed his hand over his face tiredly as he remembered his dream, where a tiny face stared up at him through the rain, asking him…

"_Please, Sesshoumaru-sama? Can't I stay?" _

Lightening flashed, and an ear splitting yowl tore through the air and a little ball of fur dove underneath his blankets. When he looked down, scared green eyes stared back at him from the darkness out from a fat little body that jiggled with every little tremble. The little animal that had hated him on the spot now pressed itself to his side, seeking comfort. He should toss the little rodent out. Shut his door. Avoid the green eyes that held that same desperate fear in them as the one who haunted his dreams.

"_Please…?"_

He should never have allowed Kagome the pet in the first place. It was unwanted. It wasn't _needed_. But he didn't say that just now, just as he hadn't said it _then_.

Out of all the things Sesshoumaru could be accused of, a liar wasn't one of them - at least not one with skill. So he said the same words as he had then, and felt something of the same emotion swirling the past up, stirring up memories that were best not remembered.

"_It's okay_," He whispered. "You can stay with me." Sesshoumaru reached for the little kitten and held him close, because no one was there to see him, and it wasn't as if Buyo would've said anything anyways.


	46. Pictures

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

46: Pictures

By: Luna

…

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome squealed, pouncing on both occupants on the bed, jolting them awake. At the same moment she brought up a camera and snapped all three of their photos, two startled and one beaming. Sesshoumaru blinked away the purple spots in his vision as she rolled off of him and brought the camera up to take a picture of herself.

"Did you see what I got yesterday?" She said happily while snapping a picture of Buyo curled up on Sesshoumaru's bare chest. She blinked down at the display picture, her eyes wide with surprised delight, then took a few more in rapid succession. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the pink blush on her cheeks, and leaned forward to see what pictures she had been taking and staring so intently at.

Kagome leaned the camera away and gave a nervous giggle while hiding the display. "A digital camera, see? Smile!"

She snapped another picture, and Sesshoumaru flapped his hand in front of his face as if he could wave the purple dots away. "Stop that."

"Why?" She leaned over abruptly, much like that first day when he first opened her box, and kissed him. Then he saw a light flash behind his closed lids, and opened his eyes to Kagome's voice whispering across his lips. "_Cheese_."

Then she leaned in and kissed him again.

Blaming it on surprise, Sesshoumaru kissed her back.


	47. In Sickness and in Health

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

47: In Sickness and Health…

By: Luna

…

The next day Kagome became sick. _Real _sick. Buyo stayed curled by her side when Sesshoumaru came in with a glass of ginger ale and a bowl of lukewarm soup. Kagome had smiled tiredly at him at first, but her whole face lit up when she saw his offerings. "You made me soup?"

"Maybe." He grunted, carefully setting the tray over her lap. He'd never made anyone _anything _to eat, and he was watching her carefully to make sure it was palatable. It was obvious that when Kagome became sick she, like in all things she did, was no holds barred kind of sick. She was sick with fever and exhaustion marked her face, and once again Sesshoumaru felt the need to take care of someone precious to him.

He froze for a moment and backpedalled. He chose instead to focus on Kagome's reaction.

When he had opened the door, the smell of burnt wires drifted through and Kagome wrinkled her nose as she placed a napkin over her lap. "What's that smell?"

"Nothing." He said quickly. It was the microwave. Having never used one before, he hadn't known metal wasn't allowed in there. The can that he had attempted to heat up still sat in the microwave untouched. From all the sparks it produced, Sesshoumaru wasn't sure whether it was really electrifying or not. He hadn't wanted to risk it.

Kagome dipped the spoon in the bowl under Sesshoumaru's watchful eye, but paused when she noticed the bandages wrapped around his hands. "What happened?" She gasped, ignoring his scowl when she put her spoon down and carefully grasped one of his hands. She cooed over it, stroking his fingers gently and sending tingles up his arm. "Are you ok?"

It had been the oven. Since he couldn't use the microwave anymore, he had dumped a can of soup in a pan and set the heat on high. But then he got distracted, and the next thing he knew the pot was bubbling over. Without thinking he had used his hands to pick it up off the stove, then abruptly slammed it back down again when his hands started to burn.

"I'm fine." He murmured, gently extracting his hand. The tingles remained even though she wasn't touching him anymore. "Go ahead and eat."

She smiled happily and ate a mouthful. Her expression froze. Sesshoumaru scowled as she slowly swallowed and put the spoon back down. "Don't you like it?"

She coughed a little, and her voice sounded a little scratchy when she spoke. "How much water did you put in it to dilute the salt?"

Sesshoumaru's mind blanked out. Was he supposed to add water? It was condensed soup, but he just thought condensed meant it was in a small can…

Kagome, seeing his expression, hurried and said, "Never mind!" She scooped up another spoonful with a smile. "Yum."

And ate every bite.


	48. Getting Better

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

48: Getting Better

By: Luna

…

Kagome lay cushioned on the couch, her back against the arm rest and her feet stretched out, staring intently down at her cell phone. Sesshoumaru sat on the floor near her feet with his laptop on his lap.

A satisfied smile spread across Sesshoumaru's face, and he shot her a superior look. "Check."

Quirking her eyebrow, her chin jutting up in haughtier, Kagome moved her finger across the screen and gave him a pitying glance. "Mate."


	49. Sinking

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

49: Sinking

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru, tired of chess, brought home a new game to play. After explaining the rules, they settled on either side of the coffee table with the game between them and went to war.

"C-17." She demanded, a blood thirsty gleam in her normally serene eyes.

"No. C-9."

Kagome gasped in outrage. "You're cheating!"

Sesshoumaru only smiled.

That's how Inuyasha found them when he came over later that day and let himself into the apartment. He stared incredulously down at his stodgy older brother playing a child's game, and his jaw nearly hit the floor as Sesshoumaru dealt Kagome the killing blow with relish, a smile of triumph streaking across his normally stoic face.

Then Kagome was crying out, "Oh, no! You sunk my battle ship!"


	50. Sick?

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

50: Sick?

By: Luna

…

"So what caused that lovey dovey scene back there anyways?" Inuyasha asked as he eased himself on a barstool.

Sesshoumaru, for once, didn't get back on his computer when the game ended, choosing instead to join Inuyasha and Kagome at the kitchen bar when Kagome rose to make some tea. He didn't deign to answer, muttering a terse, "Thanks." to Kagome when she placed tea in front of him.

Kagome smiled happily. "I came down with the flu, and Sesshoumaru-sama was kind enough to take care of me!"

Inuyasha froze with his own mug of tea already to his lips. He took a slow sip before speaking. When he looked at her, his eyes were curiously blank. "_You_… got sick?"

Kagome nodded, oblivious to his change of mood. "Yup! Sesshoumaru-sama even made me soup!"

The blank look disappeared and surprise took place when Inuyasha looked at his brother. "_You _made soup? Do you even know how to use a microwave?"

"The experience was…" Sesshoumaru searched for a word. "Educational."


	51. Games

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

51: Games

By: Luna

…

"That still doesn't explain why, when you'd never stoop so low as to play games with _me_, your own brother, you'd deign to play games with _her_." Inuyasha grumbled with a glare in Kagome's direction, flinging himself on the loveseat and calling himself an idiot for bringing up something that was making him look like a fool.

Sesshoumaru raised a cool brow. "'Go Fish' was not my idea of fun."

Inuyasha's cheeks burned when Kagome laughed, and as a parting shot said, "You sound just like your mother."

The outrage on Sesshoumaru's face was like a balm to Inuyasha's wounded pride. When his older brother stuck his nose in the air, he couldn't help but add, "And when you do that, you look just like her, too."


	52. Suspicions

Standard disclaimer applies.

Won 3rd place Best In-character Fiction - Izayoi for the December 2010 Feudal Association Awards.

Thanks goes out to **landofthekwt **for nominating me!

Maid for You

52: Suspicions

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru didn't know what happened, but something obviously _had_. Kagome seemed to be oblivious, but Sesshoumaru couldn't help but wonder at the look in Inuyasha's eyes while he stared at Kagome over the rim of his mug. It wasn't flirty like usual, it was… suspicious. What Sesshoumaru wondered was _why_.

"So…" Inuyasha started, his eyes oddly intent. "Are you feeling better today?"

"Yes!" Then she sneezed. Then laughed. Then sneezed again. "Or, erm, maybe not?"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at her silliness, not catching the way Inuyasha's eyes had widened or the incredulous way he was staring at his brother at the display of emotion. "It's that rodent." He sniffed. "You should probably get rid of it."

The rodent, who had made a bed on top of Sesshoumaru's feet, hissed lazily and rolled over on its back, finding the arches of Sesshoumaru's feet comfortable and keeping them warm.

Inuyasha stood abruptly and sent Kagome an easy smile when she turned to him in surprise. "Thanks for the tea. I gotta go."

"Already?" Her disappointed tone had Sesshoumaru narrowing his eyes at her.

"Yeah." Inuyasha looked at Sesshoumaru, then slid his eyes over to Kagome. "I've got some things I need to check out." He left before either of them could see him out.

"Huh." Kagome propped her hands on her hips and looked at the door with a perplexed look in her eyes. "That was weird. What got into him?"

Sesshoumaru looked at the door as well, and wondered.


	53. Sunlight

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

53: Sunlight

By: Luna

…

It took a lot of convincing, but eventually Kagome managed to ease Sesshoumaru away from his computer and into the world beyond the digital realm. She managed not to smile when he squinted into the sunlight as if he's never seen it before.

"You really need to get out more." She told him.

"Hnn."

"No, I mean you _really _need to get out more." She insisted. "There's more to the world than what's displayed on your computer screen."

Sesshoumaru resisted rolling his eyes, but he couldn't resist the challenge she issued. "Prove it." He said. "There's not a thing in the world I wouldn't be able to see on my computer."

"Seeing is one thing," Kagome said lightly. "_Feeling _is another."


	54. Sundaes

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

54: Sundaes

By: Luna

…

"This is stupid." Sesshoumaru said, staring down at the ice cream sundae with disgust. Kagome had piled so many toppings on it that he felt diabetic just looking at it.

"This is _fun_!" Kagome insisted. "Haven't you ever been taken to one of these places?"

Sesshoumaru looked around the old fashioned ice cream shop. His mother wouldn't have let him within a thousand yards of this place. "No. And I don't see how this proves anything."

"Sure it does." Kagome chirped. "It proves that you can enjoy things outside of the apartment every now and then. You _are_ enjoying yourself, aren't you?"

Sesshoumaru looked over at her hopeful face, one cheek endearingly smeared slightly with chocolate sauce. He bravely picked up his spoon and choked down a bite. "Hnn."

Kagome beamed, and only when she looked away did Sesshoumaru allow himself to grimace.

He _hated_ sweets.


	55. Con

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

55: Con

By: Luna

…

Kagome hummed happily to herself as she stirred a pot of stew on the stove, idly looking out the balcony windows at the rain outside. Inuyasha was visiting again, and for once Kagome wasn't too happy about it. He had been acting… strange. He watched her with uncharacteristically quiet eyes, and often times hovered near Sesshoumaru like a protective papa. It made her uneasy, but she couldn't pinpoint why.

She laughed when she opened the door to a delivery man and Sesshoumaru practically ran over like an excited kid on Christmas. He told her he was expecting new equipment for his computer, and rattled off something about a processor and security and other jargon, then tore open the box with enough relish to do a thirteen year old proud.

He scowled as he held up a little black box, twisting it this way and that before he discarded it with a dismissive flick of the wrist before sifting through the rest of the popcorn. He sat back with what could almost be considered a pout. "It's not what I expected."

Inuyasha peered over his shoulder. "Looks like you got scammed. I hate it when that happens." As he spoke, his eyes flicked up to Kagome's guilelessly, his smile hard. "Don't _you_, Kagome?"

Kagome's smile froze, and she could only be thankful Sesshoumaru was too busy grumbling at his toy to notice the horror dawning in her eyes.


	56. Pins and Needles

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

56: Pins and Needles

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to scowl at Kagome, but only barely. The woman was driving him insane. She was cleaning the apartment with feverish intensity, and when she sat down for longer than five minutes she'd glare at her cell phone as if the gadget had done something wrong.

It was only when she disappeared into her bedroom that the phone rang, and Sesshoumaru was suspicious enough to peer down at the Caller I.D. He kept his face neutral as she sped back into the room and snatched up the phone, before smiling apologetically at him and disappearing back into her bedroom.

It was only until she slipped on her shoes and told him she'd be right back did he let himself wonder why she seemed so worried, and why she felt the need to talk with a man named Miroku outside of his hearing, and where the _hell _was she going right after speaking to him.

The name was familiar… where had he heard it from?


	57. Help

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

57: Help

By: Luna

…

Kagome was more than a little worried. She was almost positive that Inuyasha hadn't meant what he said as an innuendo of any sort. Except… he had been acting strange, staring at her with eyes that were eerily unreadable like his brothers, and when he dropped that seemingly innocent comment…

She sat and pensively sipped at her coffee as she waited for her guest to arrive at the café, but was more than a little scared as well. She looked up when an attractive man with dark brown hair sat across from her. He had violet eyes and a charming smile, and when he swept her hand up with both of his, devotion dripped off his tongue like sweet molasses. "Marry me angel, and I'll take you to faraway places!"

Laughing, Kagome pulled her hand away. "Last time I checked, you were already taken. And so am I!"

Miroku settled back in his chair and winked at the waitress when she came forward with a menu. His gold earrings glinted merrily in the sunlight, drawing Kagome's eye. "So what's the problem, angel face?"

Anxiety pooled at once in Kagome's belly. "Help." She choked out. "I need help."


	58. Concern

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

58: Concern

By: Luna

…

At once Miroku lost the flirty smile. His eyes searched hers for a moment before settling back in his seat. He considered his words a moment before asking, "Are you being abused? It's not desirable, but we can terminate the contract early if your spouse is showing signs of an aggressor, though research has said he's more of a cold fish."

Kagome shook her head adamantly. "Oh no, Sesshoumaru-sama is wonderful, truly. He'd never hurt me."

Miroku narrowed his eyes at the blush on her face. He asked, "Then why did you call me for help? Did he find out about you?"

Kagome swallowed hard before continuing. "No. But I think his brother has."


	59. Miroku

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

59: Miroku

By: Luna

…

Kagome slowly peeked around the front door, silently praying that Sesshoumaru chose this day of all days to willingly set foot in the world beyond - and sighed, deflated, when he raised his head and cocked an eyebrow at her from the couch. Sighing again, she reluctantly opened the door further and let Miroku come through. He had wanted to see Sesshoumaru himself to gauge the situation, and she had no idea how it would turn out.

Miroku smiled brightly at the stoic man who slowly rose from the couch. "Hi there! You must be Sesshoumaru-sama, who Kagome-chan tells me so much about."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, first at the reluctance on Kagome's face, then at the cheerfulness of the stranger and his familiar use of Kagome's name. "Yes," he started, stepping around the man to stand beside Kagome. "And you are…?"

"Miroku Inoue. And believe me, it's a _real _pleasure to meet you." Miroku told him genially. But even as the man smiled, when Sesshoumaru placed his hand at the small of Kagome's back, her muscles were tense; she was obviously uncomfortable.

And that was unacceptable.

The smile Sesshoumaru gave was slow in coming, but was by no means a friendly gesture. His eyes glinted - like a predator, Miroku thought - as he gestured towards the couch. "Then by all means," he said silkily, his body language a threat itself. "make yourself at home."


	60. Foreplay Interrogation

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Maid for You

60: Foreplay (Interrogation)

By: Luna

…

"How long have you known my wife?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice having gone ice cold on their guest.

The way he sounded was just like when she had first arrived, and Kagome marveled at how he sounded _then _versus how he sounded _now_, and why had she only just noticed the difference? But she quickly answered the question for Miroku, afraid the man might reveal too much. "Miroku's actually the husband of my friend Sango. We used to, uh, work in the same business. I mean, at the same company. Sort of."

Miroku saluted her with the glass of ice tea she gave him. "Some say we _still do_, Kagome-chan."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed when Kagome's smile became a little strained. "What _work _are you talking about?"

Miroku blinked at him, seemingly innocent. "Why, with the post office, of course."

"You were a courier?" Sesshoumaru asked skeptically.

"We were the package." Miroku corrected with a wink.


	61. The Groom

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Maid for You

61: The Groom

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru choked on a sip of tea. "Excuse me?"

"You, ah, specially ordered me, remember Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome quickly said. "Miroku was specially ordered too. By Sango."

"You are a mail order… _groom_? Are men and women really so desperate nowadays?" Sesshoumaru asked in disbelief, eyeing the man sitting across from him and completely missing the wince that crossed Kagome's face.

Kagome laughed lightly as if it were a joke and said, "Well you see, my friend Sango was a total man-hater. But she had to marry in order to claim her inheritance, but she said the only man she'd ever marry had to be pious as a monk so she'd be left alone. She went on a website very similar to what Inuyasha found to find a man who fit her specifications." She gestured to Miroku. "Miroku _generously _volunteered for the position."

"_You_…are a monk?" Sesshoumaru asked. The man didn't seem pious to him.

Miroku smiled beatifically and sipped his tea.


	62. Cause for Concern

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Maid for You

62: Cause for Concern

By: Luna

…

"How long have you been married?" Sesshoumaru asked, relaxing slightly into the couch, absently playing with the ends of Kagome's hair.

Miroku was watching with his ever present smile as he took another sip of tea. "Five months or so." He winked. "We're still in the honeymoon stage."

Sesshoumaru wasn't going to touch that one. "Is your wife out of town?"

Miroku drained the tea before setting it down on the coffee table. "At home. I had some business to take care of."

"What do you do now?"

He seemed to consider this for a moment. "I guess you can say I'm a manager of sorts. I give people jobs, and make sure they complete them." He smiled into Kagome's eyes as he rose. "I really need to go. Work awaits, and we _all _have a job to do. Right, Kagome?"

As Sesshoumaru rose to walk their guest out, he silently wondered why everyone seemed to ask his wife that question, and wondered too why she was so affected by it.


	63. Agitation

Standard disclaimer applies.

Thank you everyone! For those who nominated me, and those who voted, Maid for You has won 3rd place in both Best Drabble (for In Sickness and Health) and Best Humor/Parody for Dokuga 4th Quarter 2010. You guys rock!

Maid for You

63: Agitation

By: Luna

…

By the end of the week, Sesshoumaru was almost pulling his hair out in agitation. Kagome became silent as a mouse, rarely venturing outside, shutting off her cell phone, and playing on the internet. She didn't even cook anymore other than to order take out. He probably wouldn't have minded three in a half months ago. He used to always order take out, and since he couldn't stand to eat leftovers it was something he ate fresh every day.

Until Kagome.

She came into his life completely unwanted, disrupting his solitude and changing his apartment around and putting _girly _things in his man cave. Hell, she even bought a cat, and he _hated _cats. Even a dog would've been more tolerable. But he couldn't say no, because all she had to do was look at him with those _eyes _and he knew wouldn't be able to deny her anything. She was... _sunshine_. Only recently, she's been a little cloudy, and he didn't know why. He didn't think it was anything he did; he hasn't been acting any different than usual (though Izayoi told him that might be the problem).

He didn't like it. Not one little bit.

She was acting more like… _him_. And he wondered how she ever put up with it in the first place.

Narrowing his eyes at her back, he started to make plans. He didn't like this Kagome, and he was determined to get the old one back, through any means necessary.


	64. Wooed

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Maid for You

64: Wooed

By: Luna

…

Kagome wondered what was wrong with Sesshoumaru.

He was acting… not like himself. Once, he sent her stupid emails that made her laugh even though they were oftentimes in the same room. One day they even IM'ed each other while Sesshoumaru was in the office on his computer and Kagome was on his laptop in the kitchen. She wondered if he felt more comfortable expressing himself when they weren't face to face, for she found he was quite witty when he wanted to be through their digital connection.

It was fun. It was exciting. It was _so not _Sesshoumaru that she was becoming more than a little alarmed.

She did the only thing she could think of; she called Izayoi.

"Something's wrong with him." Kagome whispered into her phone, peaking around her bedroom door to stare at the back of Sesshoumaru's head suspiciously. He sat on the couch and was reading a nerdy computer magazine. "I think he's sick."

"What makes you think that?" Izayoi asked, concerned.

"He's… _buying _me things." Kagome said, shaking her head in confusion even though the other woman couldn't see. "He's actually being _nice_."

Izayoi laughed. "And that's a _bad _thing?"

"It's not normal, I tell you!"

"Kagome, you can be so dense sometimes." Izayoi said exasperatedly. "Can't you tell when you're being wooed?"

Kagome was shocked into silence. "No way." she said, forgetting to whisper and having to duck behind her door quickly when Sesshoumaru started to turn his head in her direction. She reverted back to whispering fiercely into her phone. "Why? _Why _is he doing this for me?"

"The question is," Izayoi asked gently. "Why aren't you enjoying it?"

She couldn't answer that, or the truth might come out and choke her. Sesshoumaru was probably worried at her odd behavior, and was going out of his way to do an un-Sesshoumaru-like thing to make her happy. She looked around her door again, gazing at him with soft eyes and shoulders drooping with the heavy burden of her guilt. "What am I supposed to say?"

Izayoi laughed a little, then continued gently, "'Thank you' is always a good place to start."


	65. Remedy

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

65: Remedy

By: Luna

…

Kagome called in to a radio station. She needed advice from someone who didn't know her or Sesshoumaru. At first she was worried, because reviews said the host was a ladies man and she wasn't sure if he'd try to hit on her or actually try to help. She decided to risk it anyways; she was desperate.

"Welcome to Hojo's Late Night Remedy. Whatever problem you have, rest assured, I have the remedy for you." The smooth male voice came through the receiver like warm butter, and Kagome blushed. Now she knew why the ratings were so high.

"U-um, hi. My name is Ka - e." she coughed. "My name is Kae. And I have this little problem."

"What a beautiful voice! Where are you from, angel?" Hojo asked smoothly.

Tense with nerves, Kagome snapped, "Does it matter? It's as if we're gonna go on a date. I need help here, dang it!"

"Of course, darling, how can you think that'd I try to ask you out on a date? Let's be serious here." His voice oozed sincerity.

Kagome relaxed. "Well you see, there's this guy…"

"Darling, this is a _medical _talk show." Hojo said regretfully. "I'm here to help with sicknesses, not relationship advice."

"But this _is _a sickness!" Kagome insisted. "It's a _love _sickness! And I don't know what to do!"

She heard muffled laughter that turned quickly into a cough. "Of course. How can I help?"

Kagome took a deep breath and relaxed. She might as well just blurt everything out at once and get it over with. "I really like this guy, and I think he likes me, but our relationship started out on a lie, but now it's been so long I'm afraid to tell him the truth and have him hate me!" she ended on a wail.

"Calm down, sugar." Hojo urged. "I'm a doctor. I can help. How 'bout we meet for lunch and you can tell me all about it?"

"Oh, that sounds grea - _heeey!_"


	66. Handyman

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

66: Handyman

By: Luna

…

"Why don't you just tell him the truth?" Hojo asked her after they bleeped out five minutes of her tirade.

"The truth?" Kagome whispered the word like a curse, dread filling her stomach like lead.

"In the end, wouldn't you think it would be better if he heard it from you vice someone else?" Hojo asked her reasonably.

"B-but… he'll think I'm a liar. A _fraud_." And it would be true, all true. Tears gathered in her eyes as she banged her head against the wall.

"That may be true," Hojo agreed, a little _too _easily, in her opinion. "But believe me, I think he'll feel better hearing it from you. If he doesn't, he'll think you never planned to tell him in the first place and he'll feel even more betrayed and less likely to believe or trust you in the future."

Her only reply was a sniffle, coming clearly through the radio. Hojo clucked sympathetically. "Darling, you need to relax. When's the last time you got laid?"

"Never!" Squeaked Kagome into the phone.

"Ah, well, that's okay. I'm a doctor," he assured her. "I can fix that."


	67. Legalities

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

67: Legalities

By: Luna

…

"Sesshoumaru, I need to talk to you."

Sesshoumaru looked up from his computer, glasses perched on his nose and papers scattered around him filled with confusing computer algorithms. He was wearing tattered sweats and a baggy shirt, his hair rumpled as if he ran his hands through it repeatedly, and Kagome nearly drooled. Who knew nerds could be so sexy?

He frowned. "I'm working."

"Puh-lease, you're a hacker. You make your own schedule." Kagome huffed, plopping down on a seat next to the desk and setting aside a stack of papers she carried in with her.

Now he was scowling. "I'm not a hacker, for crying out loud. I'm a computer _programmer_."

She waved her hand dismissively. "What's the difference?"

He stared at her dryly. "It's legal."


	68. The Talk

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

68: The Talk

By: Luna

…

"So when did you start wearing glasses?" Kagome reached across to them and touched the corner of one sexy horn rim. She could get used to him looking all rumpled and sexy as if he just rolled out of bed. _With _the glasses. Maybe she had a new fetish?

Sesshoumaru waved her hand away. "What did you want to talk with me about?"

She clasped her hands together, waging a little game of thumb war with herself. Right won; left lost.

Sesshoumaru sighed and unexpectedly clasped a warm hand over hers, and she jumped and finally looked at his face. He wore an almost tender expression in his eyes as he squeezed her hands gently. "Tell me what's wrong, Kagome."

"I - you - it -" she fumbled, the words getting caught in her throat. "Damnit! I love you."

"You love me?" Sesshoumaru repeated dumbly, his eyes going wide.

"And I lied!"

His brow crinkled. "You don't love me?"

Kagome burst into tears.


	69. The Truth

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

69: The Truth

By: Luna

…

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru warned, his tone of voice telling her he was running low on patience.

Kagome looked at him, knowing it was now or never. She drew in a deep breath. "I lied. I lied to you, Sesshoumaru."

"You said that already," Sesshoumaru said slowly. "What exactly did you lie about?"

Kagome started crying again, and she bowed her head away from his stare. "Myself."

His voice was infinitely tender, and she felt his hand run down her hair. "And what about yourself did you lie to me about?"

"The marriage." She could barely get the words out. He was being so _sweet_, and it was making this so much harder.

Sesshoumaru froze. "What about our marriage?"

With shaking hands, Kagome handed him a copy of the marriage contract she brought in. "Here," she said faintly, knowing she was handing him her future, while risking theirs. "Please read it. For real this time. Every word."


	70. The Scam, The Fool, and the Fairytale

Standard disclaimer applies.

You know... I'm only doing this because I love you guys. No more complaining about the suspense after this! I'm clumping three chapters into one just for you!

Maid for You

The Scam, The Fool, and the Fairytale

By: Luna

...

**70: Kiki's**

Sesshoumaru, true to his word, read every page. Half of it explained the six month living period where it was mandatory that they stay married. The other half got into details about Kiki's itself, to make one hundred percent certain he knew what he was getting into. If they ever went to court, there was no way he'd be able to claim ignorance since he signed saying he understood. The other half…

Kiki's, where Kagome came from, claimed that they _made _their brides. Like dolls in a factory. Sesshoumaru's stomach clenched, and he had to stop reading for a moment. He remembered Inuyasha's words from so long ago, and realized only now why he had been so derogatory. Inuyasha loved women. He loved them all shapes, sizes, colors; you name it, he enjoyed it - and he'd never purposefully be a dick to one unless he _really _didn't like her.

_Or if he thought she wasn't real._

Oh God.

* * *

**71: The Fool**

_Wow, they really make you exactly to order, don't they? You can't even tell you're not real._

He had forgotten. Everything. He had forgotten everything about how this all started, too caught up in the whirlwind that was Kagome. Too blinded by the sunshine. And it had all been fake. None of it had been _real_.

It was all in front of his face. There had been telltale signs; signs he'd seen but hadn't understood so he'd dismissed them. Inuyasha's words, and the careful way Kagome had always answered.

_Yes. Kiki's does aim to please. _

Inuyasha was an ass, no question, but he wasn't malicious. He would never do anything to Sesshoumaru if he thought it could truly harm him. Kagome had just been a joke to Inuyasha; a childish prank. She was something given with every intention of treating her like the toy they advertised her as, and as long as he kept the receipt he could return her in thirty days. Inuyasha had probably been surprised, and more than a little confused, when Sesshoumaru had decided to 'keep her' for as long as he had.

_You__… got sick?_

He probably hadn't realized she was a fraud until recently, Sesshoumaru thought faintly, remembering how oddly Inuyasha had been acting. And though Sesshoumaru had been told, had signed the check, he still hadn't believed, still never thought. He had been so caught up in the fantasy that was Kagome that he never bothered to read the fine print; to look, and actually _see_. The implications weren't lost on him. He knew what she was showing him, and through the buzzing in his ears he heard his brothers voice:

_Looks like you got scammed. I hate it when that happens._

And Kagome's guilty face, so pale and drawn. He hadn't understood. He'd been _worried _about her.

_Don't __you, Kagome?_

* * *

**72: The Lie**

"So what was the plan, Kagome?" Sesshoumaru asked quietly. He paused slightly in the act of setting down the papers, shooting her a cool glance. "That _is _your real name, correct?"

Kagome swallowed hard, her voice a thread of sound. "Yes."

Sesshoumaru nodded slowly, leaning back in his seat as he watched her flinch under his icy regard. "So what was the plan?" He asked again. "Marry me, divorce me, then take all my money?"

"Yes." She flinched again. "No."

He waited, watching her swallow again, her face pale, her eyes sad. He would not be moved. "Are you going to answer my question, or should I call Miroku and ask _him_?"

Panic flared for an instant. "Please, no."

"Then tell me." Sesshoumaru told her darkly. "Tell me everything. And you'd better not leave anything out."

* * *

**73: The Scam**

Kagome loathed herself in that instant. _Loathed_. He was such a good man, and he didn't deserve this. She couldn't look at him as she explained; couldn't bear to see the disgust in his eyes.

"Kiki's is run and operated by a man named Naraku Ito. It _is _a bride service, and specializes in fantasy fulfillment." Kagome started. "Many men find themselves unsatisfied, especially those who, ah, don't get out much." She stumbled over those words, had to clear her throat before she continued. "They, um, read so much about the perfect woman they're disappointed when they don't find her. So they _create _her."

She looked up, then hurriedly looked back down, unable to bear his scrutiny. "Many have their own fantasy. Elves, divas, school girls -"

"_School girls?_"

"Not real ones," she hurried to explain. "They are all of legal age. That I know of. But my point is, men make the woman they want the most. Once delivered, the one that delivers the package is legally authorized to validate the marriage contract - and witness the signing of the business contract, as well."

Sesshoumaru vaguely remembered the annoying blond girl that dropped Kagome off. Young. He remembered thinking that she looked young. _Like a school girl_. He felt ill.

"And what if the man is too caught up in fantasy after six months?" Sesshoumaru asked softly. "What happens then?"

Kagome finally looked up at him, her eyes drenched with love, guilt, and sorrow. "Don't you know, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she whispered brokenly. "It works both ways."

When he only stared at her, she drew in a shaky breath.

"_I _would divorce _you_. I wouldn't have a choice."


	71. The Profit

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

74: The Profit

By: Luna

…

"You wouldn't have a choice," Sesshoumaru repeated softly, his voice dark. "And I take it during the divorce proceedings you take the man for all he's worth. Of course, you'd receive alimony after that, at least until you marry again and the process starts all over again." He paused for a moment, considering. "You do background checks, don't you? You make sure they're all wealthy. There wouldn't be any point in marrying a poor man. They aren't worthy enough."

Kagome didn't answer, but it didn't matter. Her silence was answer enough.

"Hnn," he mused. "How exactly do you get into such a lucrative business, Kagome? Or do they have a website where whores sign up for free?"

Kagome recoiled as if he slapped her. He raised a brow in mock surprise. "Don't tell me you don't know what goes on in the marriage bed, Kagome? Or did you plan on having to sleep with me after a certain grace period?"

He remembered her racy maid outfit that first day, their first kiss. "No," he realized, his voice even softer. "You were prepared to sleep with me that first night, weren't you?"

Kagome's face was completely ashen, and where moments before when she first walked in and he thought her radiant, now she looked like a wilted wildflower. "Please," she whispered finally. "please let me explain."

Sesshoumaru's lip curled in disgust. "By all means. I'm _dying _to know what _you _have to say."


	72. The Past

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

75: The Past

By: Luna

…

"Naraku is a parasite. A _spider_; one that feeds off the desperation of others." she said, and her voice was filled with hate. "He weaves a web so finely spun, you don't even know you're trapped until it's too late to do anything about it, and you're suffocating. You become _his_. It doesn't matter how you were before. You're whatever he tells you to be."

Before Sesshoumaru would never have thought that such a girl could speak with such malice. But then, he was finding fast that he really didn't know her at all, and he realized that there were other things that she never talked about, things that he had never asked. Her past. Her family. He truly didn't know a thing about her. As he sat back in his chair and gazed upon her, he felt like he was staring at a stranger.

"My family used to own a shrine." she kept her eyes averted, her fingers clenched tightly together. "My grandfather was the shrine's caretaker, and we all lived there with him."

Her lips trembled, and fresh tears went rolling down her cheeks. "It was my high school graduation day. I was outside waiting for them. I saw _everything_, and even now I have nightmares of that day." she whispered, her eyes haunted. "Grandpa was driving. I don't know what happened." Her voice was flat, all the emotions bleeding dry as she stared dully at her hands. "The car spun out of control outside the school, crashed into a light pole. Grandpa died instantly behind the wheel."

She brought trembling hands up to cover her eyes, as if she were reliving it in her mind and she thought her hands could stop the images. "Mama -" she choked. "Mama was ejected out the windshield; she must not have been wearing her seat belt." A hysterical laugh bubbled up, but she couldn't stop it. "Souta was still in the car. They took him away before I could see him, but by the time I got to the hospital he was already in surgery."

She swallowed hard, finally looking up at him with those faraway haunted eyes that left him chilled. "He had died for over eight minutes. Once revived, they put him into a drug induced coma. When he woke up he had brain damage."

"The doctors told me he would need care twenty-four hours a day. A private nurse. And then there were all the hospital fees, the funeral expenses. My family wasn't rich, and already heavily in debt because of Grandpa's medical bills. You can't exactly sell a shrine, you know. At least, I don't think you can." she squeezed her eyes shut, her delicate hands clenched into fists that were pressed to her temples. "I stayed at the hospital night and day, praying so hard for a miracle…"

"Naraku was there." she whispered after a few moments of tense silence. "_Waiting_. Told me of his business, said he was giving me an opportunity. Said I could take care of my brother, that he'd get the care he needs."

Sesshoumaru could see it all so easily. A young high school girl, numb with shock and weighed down by grief with no money to pay for the hospital fees, to pay for any of it, and especially no money to support herself or her baby brother. And then there was this benevolent stranger who offered to save them, and she didn't hesitate. She hadn't known she was placing her trust in the hands of a monster.

Kagome cleared her throat. "He took me to his home, had me sign a contract, and proceeded to... to train me." she forced herself to continue. "We had to learn to be anything, but the traits that came more easily to our character were the things that we would be advertised as, so that it would be easier to keep up the illusion. We're not fake. We only advertise ourselves that way, because that's part of the fantasy. Men could feel free to treat us anyway they desired, so that their happiness is somewhat ensured. If something... if something happened, we were to call our handler and he would come to reacquire us, under the pretense of being 'broken' and in need of repairs."

"... After six months? How do you bring up the divorce proceedings?" he asked, feeling his gut churn sickeningly.

She blinked at him, her face still ravaged by tears. "You still didn't read the contract all the way?" she sighed. "Most men don't out of eagerness." Under his glare, she hurried to explain. "It's in the contract. You can only 'own' us after a certain grace period before you have to return us to the 'factory'. It's why men never have prenuptial agreements brought up, since it's an illegal business and we're not real anyhow, therefore they hardly ever read the fine print. I don't think anyone that actually read the contract really understands it, since Naraku twists it in such a way that you don't really think how he words things, you just think you're getting a good deal."

"And that's why no one ever hears about the lawsuit, isn't it? Many of your customers are likely influential men. They just go home with their tail between their legs, lonely once again." he mused, his fingers tapping a restless beat against his knee.

Kagome avoided eye contact. "Ninety-six percent of customers have been known to buy their last 'model' back, or upgrade to something else."

Sesshoumaru could only stare at her. She was a young woman, and yet listening to her he felt naïve, and she seemed… dirty. He always hated other humans. It was never personal; he just didn't like to interact with strangers, so he never bothered. He felt them disgusting as a whole, but he never imagined depravity such as what he was listening to coming out of Kagome's pretty mouth, and he was finding himself thankful that he had avoided humanity as a whole. She had seemed so innocent...

_"You are an accomplished actress."_

_"Yeah, well... practice makes perfect."_

And he was such a fool.

So was Inuyasha, the idiot. What had he gotten Sesshoumaru involved in?

Sesshoumaru rubbed his face wearily, feeling torn in different directions. "Leave me," he said finally. "I need to think."

Kagome stared at him for the longest time, as if memorizing every detail. She nodded once, slowly.

And then she left.


	73. Decision

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

76: Decision

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru took off the glasses he forgot he was wearing and tiredly rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was just too much to take in. Her betrayal burned, he couldn't deny it. It made his heart ache, thinking of all the time they spent together and then realizing it was all a lie. All she had ever wanted was his money; the time spent with him was her biding her time before she could claim it.

It was the most elaborate prostitution ring he'd ever heard or read about, Sesshoumaru thought. The bride price itself was exorbitant, if he remembered correctly. Naraku most likely kept that money, as well as what Kagome would make when she divorced him, perhaps even the alimoney check as well. She was scamming Sesshoumaru, and Naraku was scamming them both.

The scam was ideal; he could divorce her before the six months were up, but as per their contract he would be legally obligated to give her every cent he owned, leaving him virtually penniless and unable to support both his dependents and himself. And yet, even if he waited the six months, he'd still lose at least half of his savings, plus the cost of lawyer fees and alimony. The scam was beautiful, a trap waiting for eager, lonely men.

And yet, Sesshoumaru hadn't been eager, and he hadn't thought himself lonely. He had signed anyways, just as much a fool.

Rubbing his hands over his face, he leaned back until he was staring at the ceiling. Why did she tell him? They still had a few months left until the six month time limit was up. If she had kept quiet, Sesshoumaru would have been blissfully unaware until she announced her intention to divorce.

_I love you._

He couldn't believe anything she said. Maybe she just jumped the gun, assuming Inuyasha knew everything and wanted a chance to secure her investment before Inuyasha ripped her safety blanket away. And Inuyasha would have, Sesshoumaru knew. As soon as he found enough information, he would have presented Sesshoumaru with the truth.

Sighing, Sesshoumaru stood. It was just as well. Someone like Naraku couldn't be allowed to run free. If he and Kagome collaborated, he was sure they'd be able to gather enough information for Sesshoumaru to give to a few contacts of his. With his friends help and Sesshoumaru's hacking skills, they'd sling a noose around the bastards neck and hang him.

But first, he needed Kagome.

He rose, feeling old, and walked into a silent living room. He frowned when he saw Buyo laying on top of the couch, and if he didn't know any better he'd say the cat was glaring at him. He looked around. "Kagome?"

When she didn't answer he walked over to her bedroom, certain she was laying down crying her eyes out. "Kagome?" He knocked on the door softly and went inside. Her bed was made so neatly, the clothes hanging up in her closet color coated and categorized. He almost smiled, because the room was just like his little OCD Kagome.

_His Kagome._

His smile faded. Because she wasn't his Kagome. He sat down on her bed and dropped his face in his hands. She wasn't his anything anymore.

Because Kagome was gone.


	74. Wet Rescue

Standard disclaimer applies.

Scherherazade, winks to you. You were the only one to actually catch it. You'll know what I mean.

Maid for You

By: Luna

* * *

**77: Rescue**

Kagome wandered around in a daze. She didn't know where she was going, and she didn't have any more friends to turn to. All her high school friends were away at University, and would probably be scandalized at what Kagome got herself mixed up in. All her friends from the last couple of months were Sesshoumaru's family. She thought it fitting when it started to rain, and she did nothing to protect herself from it.

The rain let up suddenly, and she looked up at the cover of an umbrella before she turned empty eyes towards the person holding it. A handsome man stood staring down at her, his hazel eyes filled with concern and his chestnut hair falling haphazardly over his brow. "Miss?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

She looked behind her to the building he came out of. A radio station. She gave a ghost of a smile. She recognized his voice; she _did _know someone. She brought her eyes back to his. "Are you a doctor?"

He blinked. "Why, yes I am. Are you in need of medical assistance?"

Her hand rose over her chest. "My heart," she whispered. "It's broken."

His eyes were blank for a few moments before recognition struck, and suddenly his face was soft with sympathy, his eyes full of compassion.

"Ah," he said softly, gently pulling her under his shoulder. "I can fix that."


	75. In Hindsight

Standard disclaimer applies.

I write the A word in this chapter. Readers beware.

Maid for You

By: Luna

* * *

**79: 20/20**

Kagome didn't cry anymore. She didn't think she could. She hated being a burden, so she did what she did best and helped keep the apartment tidy. Not like she needed to, Kagome thought wryly. Lately she'd been fighting a silent war between the housekeeper the couple hired on who cleaned better. Yesterday they were lunging for things to clean first; it was getting ugly.

Amusement fled, however, in the face of her regret. If she had the power to go back in time and change things, she would have gladly done so if she were able. But hindsight was 20/20, and at the time she had been a scared child that would have done anything to save her beloved little brother, the only family she had left. She had no other options.

Naraku had paid for everything. As soon as she signed on board, her brother was immediately moved to a special compound where people with disabilities were able to live in harmony, protected from the outside world and able to interact with others with the same problems, others that didn't judge him for being different or pity his circumstances. Kagome visited him often, and she had seen with her own eyes that Souta was being taken care of and Naraku had fulfilled his end of the deal.

In love or not, Kagome had no choice but to fulfill the end of hers, too.

* * *

**80: Healing**

She ended up telling her new roommates everything. They were both open minded, and unlike Sesshoumaru they didn't hate her on sight, look at her as if she were disgusting, or call her a whore.

Even if that was exactly what she was.

She sold herself, let herself be manipulated, and set out with the single minded purpose of wrapping a man up in his own fantasy and robbing him blind. But her men, as she was beginning to think of them, were adamant in her defense.

"Nonsense!" Jakotsu protested, bopping her upside the head. "You're a smart lady, don't be a dumb ass. If I was in the same situation I probably would have done the same thing."

"What did the man - Sesshoumaru, you said? - what did he say to you after you left the office?" Hojo asked gently. Then he continued, his voice fierce. "If he called you anymore nasty names, I'll hunt him down and beat the crap out of him."

The boys looked too pretty to beat the crap out of anyone, Kagome thought with a wane smile. It faded, however, when she confided. "I don't know." she admitted softly. "I left before he could come out."

They looked at each other before meeting her eyes. "Darling," Hojo said hesitantly. "Was there any possibility that he would have helped you? He might have hated you, but if he is as much of an inner softy like you told us, he might have decided something other than throwing you out on your pretty white ass. He might even now be looking for you, worried."

"Like what?" Kagome asked quietly in answer to his first question. "You didn't see the look in his eyes. He's not looking for me. Believe me when I say that he's probably relieved."


	76. Searching

Standard disclaimer applies.

Just to let you all know, I am upping the rating to M from here on out!

Maid for You

81: Searching

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru was, in fact, searching for her. Frantically, though he never asked himself why.

It was still raining, and she'd left everything behind. _Everything_. Her phone, her clothes, her shoes. She even left her damn cat, although maybe she did that just to spite him. He glared at Buyo accusingly before rubbing his hands tiredly across his face, a new habit he picked up. Where could she have gone? If Naraku was the monster she purported him to be, and Sesshoumaru suspected he was, then he was most likely hanging her brother over her head and she wouldn't have gone back to him for fear he'd retaliate.

Inuyasha walked in, looking tired and angry. Sesshoumaru had told him everything, and Inuyasha had surprised him by throwing in his complete support. Apparently Inuyasha had a few contacts, though he wouldn't say who or how he knew them, that might be able to help them begin a discreet search for his missing wife. So far, nothing.

"She's like a fucking ghost. She either went back to Naraku, or has some friends she hasn't told you about." Inuyasha said, collapsing on the couch.

Probably. She was a lot of things Sesshoumaru didn't know about. They lived together for three (almost four) months and the only thing he could truly say he knew about her was her name. Her cell phone started to vibrate, rattling around on the coffee table, and both brothers jumped in surprise. Sesshoumaru hesitated, then picked up the phone.

_Miroku_.

Curious, suspicious, Sesshoumaru answered.


	77. Coffee

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

82: Coffee

By: Luna

…

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru debated over the type of approach. They both agreed to confront Miroku, and in the end decided not to trust him. At this point, especially not knowing all the players, Sesshoumaru didn't want to risk Kagome's brothers safety by revealing that he knew the truth. Instead their plan was merely to test the monks reaction and see what he may or not reveal.

He watched the monk approach and stood when he reached the table. "Monk." He said as a greeting, shaking his hand.

Miroku looked amused. "Sesshoumaru-sama. May I ask why you wanted to meet me? You aren't going to try and interrogate me about my intentions with your wife, are you? I promise I am quite faithful to mine. Looking never hurt anyone, right?" When Sesshoumaru only stared, his eyes turning glacial, Miroku gave a nervous laugh. "Really, Sesshoumaru-sama, nothing ever happened. Honest!"

So he didn't know, Sesshoumaru concluded wryly. Slowly, he shook his head. "Kagome went missing."

A flash of concern flared in the other mans eyes. "Excuse me?" he asked, his voice shocked. "Did you report it to the police?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Not yet. But I fear I'm going to have to. We had a fight, and she left to cool off. When she didn't return I just assumed she was punishing me, but it's been a few days now and I'm worried someone kidnapped her for money."

Miroku's face blanked out, all emotions disappearing. "Why do you think that?"

Looking at him carefully, Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I'm sure you're aware of the Taisho name. Everyone is. If someone wanted money badly enough, they'd do almost anything to get it." He waited a beat. "Don't you agree?"

Miroku only looked at him, grim realization in his eyes.


	78. Fight

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

83: Fight

By: Luna

…

"Have you even considered the possibility that Kagome has left you?" Miroku asked, appropriately looking the concerned friend.

Sesshoumaru made himself look slightly superior, a haughty tilt to his jaw. It wasn't that hard to accomplish. "Kagome would never leave me." he huffed, his voice full of conviction. "She loves me."

Miroku looked down at his coffee, but not before Sesshoumaru saw the flash of pity in the other mans eyes. "Yes, of course." he murmured. He looked up at Sesshoumaru. "So why are you telling _me_? You should have gone straight to the police to file a missing persons report."

Looking reluctant, Sesshoumaru said, "I didn't really want to believe it. I guess I was hoping that she just went to a friends house to cool off her heels for a bit, and you're the only one she's introduced me to."

"Over a fight?" Miroku asked doubtfully.

"Maybe," Sesshoumaru admitted grudgingly. "But it was a pretty big one."


	79. Clean

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

84: Clean

By: Luna

…

"You think he knew anything?" Inuyasha asked as soon as Sesshoumaru got home.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No. He looked concerned, even a little grim. He seems to fear for her safety, but not about the supposed kidnappers. His focus was more pointed towards himself, making me believe that he feared reporting it back to Naraku. He may be concerned for her," Sesshoumaru allowed, "But I think he's more concerned for himself. He claimed earlier in our acquaintance that he was the manager. I'm sure he's the one that controls the girls - and maybe the men as well."

"So he's the pimp." Inuyasha groaned and dropped his head to the back of the couch. "What did that girl get mixed up in?"

"I wish I knew." Sesshoumaru scowled. "Either way, I think we should investigate Miroku. I don't remember what his last name was, but he shouldn't be all that hard to find, especially if he truly had training to become a monk."

Inuyasha hummed. "Already on it. _I've _actually been working while you've been sipping on freaking cappuccinos."

"They were delicious, too." Sesshoumaru said snidely, rubbing it in. "I had two."

Inuyasha flipped him off.


	80. Background Checks

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

85: Background Checks

By: Luna

…

"Miroku Inoue," Inuyasha intoned, reading from the report they just received. Inuyasha's eyebrows rose and he let out a low whistle. "Sick motherfucker."

Sesshoumaru sat up straight. "What do you mean? Is he dangerous?"

"No." Inuyasha shook his head incredulously, still reading the report. "No, I mean, he's really actually sick. Or was. Apparently he had some sort of… disease. Necrotizing fasciitis, or whatever. It's like a flesh eating bacteria; curable, but deadly if left untreated. It was in his hand. He had treatment and was cured, I guess, but the cost of the procedure put him in debt."

"And he couldn't _work _to pay it off, I suppose." Sesshoumaru guessed, his tone hinting at disgust.

Inuyasha raised his eyes from the paper. "Sesshoumaru, his _grandchildren _wouldn't be able to pay it off. Not as a middle working class citizen. He had some pretty heavy debts from both his father and grandfather. They apparently had the same illness and died from it, but it doesn't say what kind; just that they died."

He was silent for a moment. "So who was his victim?" he asked softly. "Who did he marry?"

At this, Inuyasha's eyes widened and he looked at the picture attached to the page. "Sango Sugisaki." He looked faintly leering. "Maybe I should sign up for this shit."

Sesshoumaru looked down at the picture of an exceedingly beautiful woman. She had sleek sable hair and exotic brown eyes, and she was wearing some sort of black and red jump suit that showed off every curve. "Kagome said something about an inheritance."

Inuyasha flipped a page. Whistled again. "A very pretty one, too. Apparently her grand-daddy was the real deal, a fucking genius. He's the founder of World Wide Robotics, and when he died last year he left every single cent to his favorite granddaughter. The only requirement was she get married by the time she turned twenty-five, or all that money gets put into charity."

"She doesn't have family?"

"No. Mother died at little brothers birth. Father and said little brother got in a car accident and died about a year ago."

Sesshoumaru looked up sharply. "What did you say?"

"I said they all died in a car accident. She was the only one left. Why?"

A coincidence, he wanted to believe.

But the sick feeling in his gut told him otherwise.


	81. Naraku

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

86: Naraku

By: Luna

…

"Naraku Ito," Inuyasha continued. He frowned as he continued reading.

"What?" Sesshoumaru asked, tired of waiting.

"Nothing." he said. He shook his head at Sesshoumaru's snort, a little bewildered. "No, really, there's nothing. No driving record, and no criminal record, no money problems. Independently wealthy. Apparently he's considered a saint in some circles. You know, giving money to charity and shit, that kind of thing. Interesting," Inuyasha mused, looking up at Sesshoumaru over the paper. "He apparently often lets the poor and unfortunate live with him, and finds jobs for them in the city and various parts of Japan."

"Sly bastard," Sesshoumaru snarled. "Kagome was right. He finds men and women who are desperate and have no other alternative, and he uses them for his own gain. He _makes sure _they have no one else to turn to, no one else who could help, and he exploits that."

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment as he studied Sesshoumaru. "Does this mean you forgive her?"

Sesshoumaru sighed, feeling very, very tired. "I don't know, Inuyasha. I just want to find her."

"We will."

Sesshoumaru only wished he could be so sure.


	82. In Style

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

87: In Style

By: Luna

…

Kagome wasn't so sure she wanted to be found. Her new roommates were fun, gorgeously gay, and nicer than they needed to be. Jakotsu said he never could resist the abandoned puppy look, and Hojo just winked and said he was a sucker for blue eyes. They didn't judge her, didn't make her feel as if she needed to hurry and move out, but best of all they made her feel as if she belonged. But… she also knew that this arrangement couldn't last forever. Eventually she needed to go back and confront Sesshoumaru again.

As she sat with them on the living room floor playing a game of Go Fish while snacking on Cheetos, she went over different ways to break it to them that she would be leaving.

She sat back, defeated, while Jakotsu crowed over his win. "I've always wondered," she started, eyeing Hojo as he slapped down his cards in defeat. "I read that you were a 'ladies man.' That is so _obviously _not true."

Hojo looked offended. "I beg your pardon."

Rolling her eyes, she threw a cheeto at him. "You know what I mean. You're more a manie... er, man." Jakotsu snorted at Kagome's fumble and Hojo's scowl. "Uh, I mean, it's just you're more like a man-woman's-man. Er." She blushed furiously and covered her face with her hands. "Please, someone give me a shovel, I'm tired of digging a hole with my hands."

Hojo shook his head with a laugh. "I know what you mean, Kagome. Calm down. I'll only say this: It's all about the ratings."

She just looked at him. "There are obviously gay men in Japan. I'm sure they listen to your radio station."

He shrugged in a blasé fashion. "It was Jakotsu's idea. I just went along with it. In a survey the station conducted, ninety percent of my listeners are women, so it works out just fine. I'm getting paid really good, enough to let Jakotsu quit and open his new store." He shrugged again.

"Hmm." Kagome scowled for a minute. "Aren't you just deceiving your listeners?"

"How? It's not as if I go out with any of them. Well, you don't count, since you're more like an abandoned kitten I picked off the street." He ignored Kagome's scowl. "No ones ever asked me if I'm straight or gay, and frankly I don't really think it's any of their business. My show is strictly medical, though I will say after your little stunt I've had more than my share of relationship questions."

"It's you're fault," she said, grinning at him. "next time you have a damsel in distress, just give really bad advice. Don't pretend to woo her."

Hojo smiled. "If you haven't figured it out, I like to flirt. It's fun and, for the most part, harmless. But I'll take your advice into consideration."

They sat in companionable silence for a moment before Kagome broke it once again. "I have to go back, you know."

The two men exchanged a look before Jakotsu reached out and ruffled her hair. "We know, kitten. We know."

She sighed, looking down so her bangs helped hide the tears burning in her eyes. "I guess I better go pack... it's not as if I have much in the first place."

"Oh, no you don't." Jakotsu countered. "Not like that."

Kagome stared at him in confusion, and he only smirked, a militant gleam in his eyes. "You're not running back looking like a kicked puppy. If you're going back to your man, you damn well are going back in style."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

He put an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, honey. We're going _shopping_."


	83. Technically…

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

88: Technically…

By: Luna

…

Inuyasha found Sesshoumaru in his office when he came back to the apartment, feeling suddenly like he was in a sci-fi movie the minute he stepped through the office door. "Um… Sesshoumaru?"

Various computer equipment was set up around Sesshoumaru's desk, and about five new flat screen monitors were set up in front of Sesshoumaru, who studied what looked to Inuyasha to be nothing but numbers and codes, with the occasional screen flashing up to show off even more code. Sesshoumaru's fingers were flying across the keyboard - he now had two, Inuyasha noted, and couldn't help but be impressed. And a little annoyed.

He smacked Sesshoumaru on the back of the head. "Hey, you jerk! Here I've been trying to help you all day and I come here to find you playing on the computer? What the hell?"

Sesshoumaru grunted at the smack but didn't turn to meet Inuyasha's glare until he seemed satisfied with whatever it was he was doing. Inuyasha was thinking about hitting him again when Sesshoumaru turned to glare at him. "I'm hacking into Naraku's computer, you idiot. Go outside like a good boy until I'm finished."

"Huh?" Inuyasha blurted intelligently. "How the hell do you know how to do this kind of shit? I thought you were computer _programmer_…?"

Something flashed in Sesshoumaru's eyes for a moment, and his face softened with the barest hint of a smile before he turned back to the computers. "I know." he said softly before waving a dismissive hand. "Technicalities."


	84. Hacker

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

89: Hacker

By: Luna

…

"I think our victim has a touch of OCD." Sesshoumaru said when he pulled up a screen. The man kept digital copies of everything, all categorized and placed in alphabetical order. Sesshoumaru stumbled upon a jackpot; Naraku kept and recorded _everything_, all lined up in neat little digital files.

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder at all the files lined up on one screen, then looked at the one Sesshoumaru pulled up. "What do you mean?"

It looked like a dating web browser, where there were pictures of people with a detailed biography next to each one. There was the amount each person was sold for, the type of "training" each was given along with their strengths and weaknesses, the special characteristics they were going to be advertised as, a tally of how many times they had been "sold", and how they first came to be under Naraku's care.

And there were _a lot_; at least around a fifty or sixty men and women.

Not all of them suffered some horrible tragedy; some had apparently volunteered. There were, however, those that Naraku had coerced into agreeing, mainly through blackmail. There were two different links, one for boys and one for girls. Inuyasha brushed Sesshoumaru's hand away and opened up the files for girls and scrolled down looking for Kagome's.

"Well, one thing's for sure." Inuyasha muttered, eying all the photos until he found Kagome's. "They're all freaking gorgeous. There's only one or two that are plain or just ugly, and I'm assuming those are special requests. And here I thought you lucked out when you got a gorgeous babe like Kagome."

He looked over at Sesshoumaru when his brother remained quiet, and felt pity stirring in his chest. Sesshoumaru was looking at Kagome's picture, not reading anything about her file.

The guy was a goner, Inuyasha thought. A total goner.

As he continued reading Kagome's file, his brows rose. "Well, this ought to cheer you up." Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly and looked at him from the corner of his eyes. Inuyasha grinned and pointed. "Look. No wonder she was so expensive."

He looked, and his heart gave a painful lurch.

He had been Kagome's first "assignment."

She was a virgin.

And Sesshoumaru had accused her of being a whore.


	85. Routine

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

90: Routine

By: Luna

…

Kagome walked through the front door warily, looking around her as she toed off her shoes and lined them neatly beside the door before putting on her little bunny slippers. She didn't question why her slippers were still there; she was just grateful her key still worked.

No one was home.

She went to her room and peaked in, her heart fluttering a bit when she saw everything was still as she had left it. The only thing different, it seemed, was that her bed was mussed, as if someone had either sat on her bed or took a nap on it. Sighing in relief, she went to the kitchen and peaked inside the refrigerator before pulling out ingredients. Maybe it was silly thinking that he'd be nicer to her if she cooked him a homemade meal like she used to, but it certainly didn't hurt to try. A fresh one too, since he couldn't stomach eating leftovers.

An hour later, she heard the front door open, and both Inuyasha's and Sesshoumaru's voices were clearly heard as they bickered back and forth. Their voices cut off abruptly, and Kagome knew they spotted her. Or maybe they just smelled the hotpot.

Kagome kept her back to them as she nervously stirred the stew, her frilly pink apron covering the front of her new outfit. Jakotsu owned a boutique for special _personal _apparel, and he made the costumes himself. When they went shopping, he claimed that stores wouldn't do it for them, so he dressed her personally in one of his own designs and had her dressed as a very stylish… maid. Kagome hadn't really thought about it at the time, but now she was cringing.

"Uh… Kagome?" It was Inuyasha. He sounded confused, relieved, and a little angry.

Slowly, she turned around, forcing a smile, and stepped out from the kitchen area to greet the two. "It's about time you two came home! Dinner should be ready in a…" she trailed off when she saw Sesshoumaru's angry expression, and flinched when he started to move, fearing the worst.

But he didn't do anything. He just swept by her without a word until he reached his office and slammed the door shut behind him.

Meeting Inuyasha's blank expression, Kagome offered a watery smile.


	86. Leftovers

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

91: Leftovers

By: Luna

…

Dinner was a tense affair, with Kagome trying valiantly to think of ways to break the tension. Or at least have Sesshoumaru _look at her_. She stared down at her food, and after a moment an idea took hold.

Looking up at the boys from beneath her lashes, Kagome smiled. Inuyasha looked as if he were in heaven as he ate, and she remembered him saying something before they sat down about never getting homemade meals. Sesshoumaru was eating mechanically, as if the taste of her food didn't register. She took a deep breath in an attempt to let out the tension, and waited until they were finished eating before speaking.

"How's dinner?" She asked, striving her best to sound innocent. Sesshoumaru jerked his head up suddenly and looked at her suspiciously.

Inuyasha sighed rapturously, ignorant of his brothers mood. "It was great. It's been forever since I had a home cooked meal."

Momentarily side tracked, Kagome looked at him in surprise. "Izayoi doesn't cook for you?"

Grinning at her, Inuyasha said, "Kagome, my mom's amazing, make no mistake. But if there's one thing she can't do, it's cook. We have take out all the time."

"What is it with this family and takeout?" Kagome muttered to herself. Shaking her head, she raised a brow at him. "Well, at least you guys probably have plenty of leftovers, right?"

Inuyasha grimaced. "Um, no!" When Kagome laughed, incredulous, he added, "Leftovers are _gross_."

Smiling as innocently as she could, Kagome fluttered her lashes and teased, saying, "What would you say if I told you that this dinner was made from leftovers?"

Both of the men blanched and looked at their empty plates with dismay. Kagome threw her hands up in exasperation. "I'm kidding! What on earth could possibly be wrong with eating leftovers?"

Inuyasha leaned towards her beseechingly, ignoring Sesshoumaru's sudden scowl at his proximity. "_Germs_." he whispered loudly. He shuddered. "I can just imagine them crawling all over the food over night, making little germ babies. It's _disgusting_."

Kagome swallowed laughter and looked at him solemnly. "You do realize that raw meat probably has more germs on it than when it's cooked."

"But that's just the thing!" Inuyasha insisted. "Once you put all that in the oven, the heat kills off all the germs and their families. Fresh," he added. "is _best_."

She couldn't help but laugh. "You're so stupid." she said affectionately. "You know you can just pop them in the microwave and kill all those germ babies off all over again, right…?"

She trailed off, her eyes widening as she looked at the blackened microwave they never replaced, then over to a decidedly uncomfortable looking Sesshoumaru who suddenly found the ceiling very interesting.

Inuyasha only rolled his eyes. "Exactly."


	87. Suspicions and Big Trouble

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

By: Luna

* * *

**92: Suspicions**

Kagome looked down at all the reports the men had spread out before her on the coffee table, and had to cough over the sudden tightening of her throat. "You've been… busy." Was all she could manage.

The legal repercussions were not lost on her. If they ever turned in such evidence, while it was true that Naraku would probably be sent away for a long time for bribery, extortion, fraud, and who knows what else… she'd be put away for prostitution, and probably forgery since she passed herself off as something else. She wasn't really keen on legal jargon, but knew the evidence before her would not only condemn herself, but everyone else in Naraku's illicit business. Not all of them were good guys, she knew, but not all of them were bad.

Did he hate her that much? she thought distantly, her body numb. Did what she did really warrant being thrown in jail? She looked up at Inuyasha, because at the moment she couldn't bear to look at Sesshoumaru. "Why?"

Inuyasha was looking pleased with himself. "A person like Naraku needs to be put behind bars. We'd be doing the world justice, I think. Don't worry, he'll get what's coming to him."

"Yes," she murmured softly. "and I, along with him, will get my just deserts."

* * *

**93: Not for you**

Inuyasha looked horrified. "What the fuck are you talking about? We're not going to send _you _to jail!"

Kagome sat back on her heels and looked at him coolly. Her hands were folded calmly in her lap, and only sheer force of will kept them from clenching tightly together and betraying her stress. "What did you think would happen, Inuyasha? That you'd appear before the police with all this evidence and only Naraku would be accused?"

Sesshoumaru spoke to her for the first time, and at the sound of his voice her eyes jumped to his and clung. "For the most part, you will have nothing brought against you."

"What do you mean?" Now that she looked at him she couldn't look away. She hoped he didn't know she was so affected by him.

"You are still part of a legal bride service. He has the business certificate to prove it. There are, however, other aspects that should and will be made public." Sesshoumaru was staring back at her as cool and calm as she was striving to be, but she had the feeling he succeeded better at it than she did. "Both Inuyasha and I are making sure you will not see a judge for anything other than testimony."

Good luck with that, she thought faintly. She dearly hoped they succeeded. "But why?" She whispered. "Why would you do this for me?"

Sesshoumaru gave a little derisive sniff and angled his chin in such a way that subtly stuck his nose in the air; it uncomfortably reminded her of his mother. "I would not be doing it for _you_," he said haughtily. "I'd be doing it for _me_."

Because if she got besmirched, than he'd get smeared with it too because they were married. What's mine is yours, and all.

Kagome gave a little cynical smile and didn't say another word.

* * *

**94: Trouble**

Sitting at the kitchen table, Kagome decided to call up Jakotsu while Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were holed up in the office playing detective. She was bored from being ignored. When she wasn't being ignored she was distracted every now and then by Inuyasha's flirting. And when he wasn't flirting she was being snarled at by Sesshoumaru _because _of Inuyasha's flirting. She was going crazy in the apartment, and coming back hadn't sorted anything out with Sesshoumaru like she had planned.

If she even looked in his direction he'd tense up like a prickly bear, and if she dared open her mouth to speak to him he'd snarl back with some snarky rejoinder. Heaven forbid she even talked with Inuyasha! If she even so much as smiled at his little brother, instead of heating up he'd turn into an iceberg, and for whatever reason she couldn't figure out she'd actually feel _guilty _for it! She was starting to think the man was bi-polar. If she thought he still liked her, maybe she'd understand. As it was, she felt he was being more than a little unreasonable.

When he walked into the kitchen to get something to drink, Kagome was suddenly finding the table top very interesting as she waited for her friend to answer.

"Kagome, my darling!" Jakotsu cheered, and Kagome winced as his voice carried. Sesshoumaru was suddenly imitating a still life, so she knew he heard. "What are you doing on this fine navy day?"

"Navy? Are you enlisting?" Kagome asked with a puzzled laugh, hunching away from Sesshoumaru. Immediately, she felt eyes bore holes in the back of her head. If she weren't on such bad terms with him already, she'd throw something at him. Hard. Preferably sharp. Well, no, just blunt shaped. As much as it was starting to tempt her, she didn't want to kill the man.

"No, you silly goose. My theme this week." Jakotsu told her, interrupting her thoughts. "I'm making the costumes now. Why don't you stop by and be a model for me? I need to see how they look on someone anyways, and Hojo only poses for me in private."

She laughed. "Dude, I _so _didn't want to hear that."

"Come over for me, darling, please? I miss your pretty eyes." Jakotsu cooed. "I might even let you keep one of the costumes for role play. I have props too, but that I'd have to charge."

Oh, she missed him. "In that case, I'm already out the door." She made noisy smooching noises and then hung up. When she started gathering her purse and jacket, she heard Sesshoumaru behind her.

"Where do you think you're going?" He demanded like… well, a demanding husband. She sighed at such wistful thinking.

She didn't pause what she was doing and continued to pull on her shoes. "Going out."

"Out _where?_"

She straightened and sent him a cool look. "Why do you care?"

When he realized she was actually waiting for a response, the tips of his ears turned red and he floundered for a moment. But what could he say?

Kagome sent him a cold smile. "That's what I thought."

And if she slammed the door a little as she left, well, who could blame her?

* * *

**95: Coward**

"Being a dick to her isn't going to help matters, you know." Inuyasha told him with a glower. "It's so awkward coming here I'm seriously considering working from _my _apartment."

Sesshoumaru sent him a nasty look. "Then why don't you?"

Inuyasha gave him an innocent smile. "Oh, so you _want _to be alone with her. I get it, this being an asshole is just you trying to do some stupid reverse psychology shit on her, huh?"

Inuyasha grasped his chin thoughtfully and pondered aloud. "You know, many chicks _do _dig asshole's rather than nice guys. But then, you've always been an asshole and she still fell in love with you. If you think being a bigger asshole will make her like you even more, I think you're coming at this from the wrong angle."

"She's not in love with me." Sesshoumaru snapped. "And you're not going anywhere."

"Coward." Inuyasha taunted. "Can't stand to be alone with a girl that barely passes five feet and a hundred pounds wet. Who happens to be your _wife_, I might add."

"You see it as fear," Sesshoumaru muttered darkly. "I see it as being cautious."

Inuyasha snorted. "The cautious seldom err."

Shooting him a surprised, yet annoyed look, Sesshoumaru huffed at him. "Quoting Confucius now?" he continued before Inuyasha was allowed a word in edgewise. "There's nothing wrong in being careful. Especially if one is not sure of ones own footing."

"Keh." Inuyasha grunted. "Then at least be _really_ careful. Opportunity knocks for temptation, too." He shot him a look full of meaning. "Wait too long, and she might just look for help somewhere else. Then where would you be?

He left, leaving a scowling, slightly perturbed Sesshoumaru in his wake.


	88. The Favor and the Elevator

Standard disclaimer applies.

For everyone who has been shaking their fists at me. Please, rest your weary arms and enjoy!

_Warning!_ Fluff. Lots of fluff. Read at your own risk!

Maid for You

By: Luna

Happy Easter!

* * *

**96: Favor**

Kagome enjoyed her time with Jakotsu, and in the end had taken home a cute little sailor outfit. Not because she had ideas for herself and Sesshoumaru, she thought with a sigh, but because the outfit itself was amazing. She had the feeling Jakotsu had every intention of letting her keep the outfit, and she hid it in her closet so Sesshoumaru wouldn't see. For all she knew, he'd probably assume she was keeping it for her next gig, not because she genuinely enjoyed it and thought it cute.

She walked into the office to watch the two men, admiring them. They were both exceedingly handsome, Inuyasha with his rugged good looks, and Sesshoumaru for his elegant beauty. And glasses, Kagome thought with a dreamy sigh. Man, did he look good in glasses.

He looked up at that moment, and for an instant they stared at each other before he turned back to Inuyasha when the younger man muttered something. She stared at him a moment longer before straightening from her slouch against the door frame.

"I made lunch." She said simply, and waited for them to acknowledge her. Sesshoumaru rose at once and walked towards her, and again their eyes met for the briefest of moments before Kagome moved out of the way and he continued down the hall to the dining room. Inuyasha was straightening up some papers, and Kagome used that time silently shut the door.

Inuyasha looked at her in surprise, then wariness when he noticed the closed door. Kagome would not be deterred, however. What was going on between her and Sesshoumaru had to stop, and she didn't think she'd be able to get him alone without coercion.

"Inuyasha." She started quietly. "I need a favor."

* * *

**97: Elevator**

Leave it to me, he says. Kagome thought nervously, shooting glances at the stoic man walking beside her. Just make sure you follow him outside, he told her. Kagome only hoped Inuyasha knew what he was doing, and silently prayed he hadn't paid someone to kidnap them or anything.

They walked silently inside the elevator, Sesshoumaru punching the button to close the door, then punching the button for the ground floor. Kagome twiddled her thumbs nervously for a moment. "So - _ack_!"

The elevator jerked twice before grinding to a halt, and both Sesshoumaru and Kagome stumbled at the change. She clutched at the railing tightly while looking at the button panel with horror stricken eyes. "Oh my God!" She squeaked, pressing against the wall, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. "I saw a show one time where people got stuck in an elevator and then the cables snapped and they all _died!_"

Sesshoumaru was looking at her as if she grew two heads. "Excuse me?"

"Quick, shove yourself in the corner and brace with your legs," she said urgently. "I saw this once on a survivor show. They said that if you ever get stuck in an elevator, if you do that you may break a few legs, but at least you won't die if the cables snap. Hurry!"

"Kagome, you're being ridiculous. And," he added pointedly. "I think you watch too much TV. It's probably just a power surge."

She shook her head, thinking he was being entirely too candid about their situation. "I'm serious! You may be laughing, but the show said that it's a proven theory!"

"If it's a theory, how was it proven?" Sesshoumaru turned back to ask, his face suspiciously solemn. "Did someone actually put themselves in an elevator and had the cables cut from the top floor to see if they could walk - or crawl, in the case of broken legs - outside?"

"Well, no." Kagome blinked. "But it could happen!"

"Hnn." Sesshoumaru was inspecting the ceiling, then jumped up and punched the escape hatch, dislodging it. "If you say so." Then he jumped again to hook his fingers over the edge and try to lift himself out. Kagome could only stare, thinking that her company must be really horrid for him to want to escape out an elevator shaft. Then panic struck, and she lunged towards him.

"What are you doing?" Kagome screeched, lunging forward to wrap her arms around his waist, and getting her shin kicked by one of his dangling legs. "Don't you watch _any _TV? You should know what happens to people who try to escape through the elevator shaft!"

"Foolish girl!" He growled, twisting his torso back and forth in an effort to dislodge her iron grip. "You should know I don't watch TV!"

"Then take it from me and don't try it!" Kagome gasped, tightening her grip and squeezing her eyes shut against his stomach.

An accidental kick to her other shin had Kagome hopping on one foot with a hiss, and in the process putting more weight on Sesshoumaru. With a grunt his fingers slipped off the ledge and they both crashed to the floor. Kagome still had her arms wrapped around him, only this time her face had slid up to be buried against his chest, and her hips were cradled between his thighs. Their position was entirely indecent, but Kagome didn't move, and Sesshoumaru was just laying on the floor bonelessly.

Kagome breathed in his scent, basked in the warmth of his body, and felt inexplicable tears burn behind her closed lids. "I'm sorry." she choked out. "I'm so sorry."

Sesshoumaru didn't say anything, and Kagome was too scared to look up at him. Then he sighed, and the sound was strangely resigned. _"I give up."_ She thought she heard him rumble, and felt his hand stroking down her hair before resting at the back of her skull, cradling her close to him.

"Why, Kagome?" His voice was low, and because she knew him so well she heard the pleading undertone. "Why did you ever tell me? I would never have known. Inuyasha probably wouldn't have found out anything until after the divorce."

"I know." She whispered, her voice muffled in his clothes. She turned her head to the side and rested her cheek against his chest, listening to the _bump-bump-bump _of his heart.

"I know." She said again. "But I… I was falling in love with you." She admitted in a soft voice. "And I thought you felt something for me too. I just… I wanted something real. I didn't want a divorce. I wanted to stay. But I couldn't stay without you knowing. It's true that I was offered money to come to you…" she whispered. "But I wanted you to know that I would have stayed without it."

Sesshoumaru was so still and silent underneath her that she feared he'd ignore her completely. Then he asked, slowly as if measuring each word, "You have not been… paid?"

Kagome shook her head. "My payment is in the form of my brothers care. He said he'd only give me money as a reward if I managed not to botch up my first assignment."

"But you 'botched' it up anyways." Sesshoumaru mused, his hand resuming it's absent stroking over her hair. "Why did you risk it?"

Hope. Love. Fear. She didn't know what she could say that he'd believe. "I guess I… I guess I just believed."

"In what?"

"In you."

Silence stretched between them, and still Sesshoumaru stroked her hair, his heartbeat a soothing rhythm beneath her ear. "You would have abandoned your brother?" he finally asked.

"_No_." she said fiercely, tightening her arms. "I wanted to talk to you. I… I was hoping that you'd help me. Because…"

"Because…?" He prompted gently.

"Because you'd want me to stay too." She whispered finally. "That you'd forgive me and ask me to stay."

His other hand came up to grasp her upper arm, but instead of throwing her off of him, his thumb started caressing the bare skin of her arm as absently as the hand still stroking her hair. "And instead you ran away."

"You told me to leave!"

"The office, Kagome," he chided gently. "Not my life. I told you I needed to think. I lied to you."

Kagome blinked her eyes open at the abrupt way he changed the subject. "About what?"

"I'm not going after Naraku for me." Then he paused and said, "Not _just _for me."

Kagome absorbed his words, hope filling her and making her heart ache with it. "Why?"

"… I didn't want you to worry." he said finally. "Not if you chose not to stay."

He would have helped her even if she decided she wanted to leave him, after all? Her throat was so tight she couldn't breath, but she finally whispered, "You said so many awful things… I thought you hated me."

"I am sorry." The hand stroking her arm slid up around her back to hold her to him, and she felt his lips ghost across the top of her head. "I was angry. I lashed out before you had a chance to explain, and then I couldn't find you…"

She had hurt him badly, Kagome realized. And then when she disappeared she had worried him. She didn't know what made him decide to forgive her, and she was more than a little afraid to ask. "I'm sorry, too." she told him, smiling through tears that she couldn't stop. "Even though you were still mean to me when I came back."

He made a dismissive sound in the back of his throat. "Don't apologize to me again." he told her, one of his hands gently tugging on a lock of her hair in a silent rebuke. "When you came back I wasn't sure how to act around you. Things like this…" he hesitated. "Relationships are not my strong point."

"That's obvious." she squeaked when she was suddenly flicked on the nose. Slowly, she placed her hands on his chest and leaned up enough to be able to look down into his face, and her breath caught at the tender look in his eyes. She reached up and ran her finger down his cheek lovingly, whispering, "If you're willing to work on it, then so am…"

Kagome never finished her sentence. Sesshoumaru had brought his hands up to frame her face while she spoke, then gently pulled her down to cover her mouth with his.

"_Stay_," he whispered against her lips. "Kagome... stay with me."

After another long, drugging kiss, Kagome started to cry... silently. "Of course I will," she whispered past the lump in her throat. "Of course I will..."

Her lips returned to his, and neither of them spoke for a while after that.


	89. Comfortable?

Standard disclaimer applies.

This story has officialy reached over 1,000 reviews on FFnet! You guys totally rock, thank you!

Maid for You

98: Comfortable?

By: Luna

…

"You know, you guys could've used the emergency phone instead of waiting for someone else to notice the elevators weren't working." Inuyasha told them, and the sly glance he shot in Kagome's direction told her that he had been behind it in the first place. He _had _guaranteed them alone time, after all.

Kagome blushed but didn't say anything. Sesshoumaru just harrumphed and didn't bother turning around. She had moved one of the recliners in the office so she'd be able to sit with them while they worked, but now she ducked behind the book she brought with her to hide her embarrassment.

"Hmm, I wonder what on earth could have kept you guys _so busy _during that time?" Inuyasha asked, this time sending a leer in her direction. "It must have been very cold in there too," he added with a snicker. "Did you guys manage to stay warm?"

Kagome's face was burning up by now, and she squeaked in embarrassment and covered her face with her hands. That _rat_, she thought, mortified. He was probably watching them the entire time! It wasn't as if they had sex or anything. But that had been one serious make out session Kagome wasn't going to forget. After all, it had been the first one _ever _between her and Sesshoumaru, the few chaste kisses they shared before paling in comparison. And _oh_, his hands. It seemed his hands had been _everywhere_. And hers had not been idle, either.

That _rat_, Inuyasha! she thought again, mortified. Spying on a private moment. She hoped that he had the decency to turn away, at least, but there was no way she was going to bring the subject up again to ask!

She spread her fingers a bit to look at Sesshoumaru through the gaps, and blushed even harder when she saw he was looking at her with a strange expression on his face.

Then, unbelievably, he smirked and turned back to his computer. "Your concern is touching, little brother." Sesshoumaru said coolly, a little bite to his voice. "But rest assured, we found plenty of ways to stay warm."

Kagome squeaked again, and Inuyasha laughed.


	90. The Bait

Standard disclaimer applies.

For Skye. Because she's scary. ::winks!::

Maid for You

99: The Bait

By: Luna

…

Kagome yawned as she rolled out of bed, too restless to sleep. The boys' hobby distracted her, worried her, and she felt that Naraku was just too big of a threat to take down so quietly like they seemed to expect. Since she wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon, she padded into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. On the way she noticed a faint light underneath the office door, and when she came back she held two cups in her hands.

"What are you doing up so late?" She asked Sesshoumaru when she managed to get the door open.

He looked up at her, slightly distracted, and she could tell he was still thinking in computer mode. He nodded his thanks at the tea, and wearily rubbed his face with his hands before sitting back in his seat. The action made his glasses sit crookedly on his nose, and Kagome smiled at the sight; sometimes he was too cute for his own good. Kagome set her mug down and stepped behind him and began to rub his shoulders.

Sesshoumaru hesitated for a moment, then brought his hands up to cover hers. For a moment she thought he'd throw them off him, but he surprised her by tugging on her hands so that her arms loosely circled his neck. She smiled and rested her chin on the top of his head.

"I hacked into Naraku's mainframe," he told her. "As Inuyasha would say, he's definitely a bastard, but he's a tricky one. Very clever."

"How so?" She couldn't help it, she buried her nose in his hair and nuzzled. This intimacy was so new, but now that he opened the gate to it she couldn't help but take advantage. For all she knew he'd change his mind tomorrow when he was more awake and thinking clearly, and she didn't want this opportunity for a bit of intimacy to pass her by.

"He set up traps in his own hard drive in case anyone tried to hack into him. Luckily, I know what I'm doing." He was rubbing the inside of her wrist with his thumb absently while the other hand rested on the mouse, sifting through data. "I'm tempted to install a virus, but that would be too obvious."

Kagome smiled. "I thought you weren't a hacker."

"You're a bad influence." Sesshoumaru told her dryly. "I think I'm going to try and set up a different kind of trap for our rat."

"Hmm." Kagome hummed, though she really wasn't following him. "Like what?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged, his tone deceptively mild. "I'll set up the maze," he told her quietly. "You supply the cheese."


	91. Refusal

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

100: Refusal

By: Luna

…

"No." She told him, her voice flat.

Sesshoumaru stiffened underneath her at her immediate refusal, and he pulled away to swivel around in his seat to stare at her. He waited a moment, then asked, "Why?"

She pulled herself farther away, picking up her tea and backing towards the door. "He's _evil_. That, and compared to him I'm not a very good actress. He'll know if I'm lying or trying to play him. And he has my brother. You can't ask me to risk him."

Sesshoumaru's eyes were narrowed and cool, no signs of the tender man who held her hands moments earlier. She suddenly felt as if she had been lured into a different kind of trap, one where her own desires were used against her to create a sense of security. She was a fool.

Sesshoumaru continued to study her for a moment longer before saying, "We've been together for a while and I've never suspected any sort of deceit." He raised a cool, inquiring brow. "I'd say you are quite the accomplished actress."

"Ah, but who do you think it was that taught me, Sesshoumaru-sama?" She asked him coolly. Her smile was mocking, but her eyes made her look vulnerable. She continued on, her words creating another chasm between them he didn't know how to cross. "And a master always recognizes his student."

She turned and left him, and Sesshoumaru wasn't quite sure on what to do.

Hesitating only a moment, he rose to follow her.


	92. Compromise

Standard disclaimer applies.

You guys are awesome! For Dokuga's 1st Quarter 2011 Awards, Maid for You has been nominated for Best Alternate Universe/Reality. Thank you so much!

...

Maid for You

101: Compromise

By: Luna

...

Tension ran high during the next few days. Kagome and Sesshoumaru rarely spoke, and when they did it usually consisted of coolly polite comments from Sesshoumaru and heated replies from Kagome.

Inuyasha was confused. "Shouldn't you two be, like, all over each other by now?"

They both turned to stare at him with scowls, their expressions looking entirely too much alike for Inuyasha's comfort. "Geez, let up a bit, will ya? You guys are supposed to be newlyweds. When I leave the room, I expect you two to get at it like rabbits in heat, all right?"

When he actually acted good on his word and left the apartment, said newlyweds stared at each other warily. Kagome decided to break the silence since Sesshoumaru didn't seem to be willing to. "My answer is still no."

His frown deepened. "You didn't even wait to hear of my plan."

"I'm not going back in that house!"

"Who said you were going to?" Sesshoumaru asked icily, but there was a hint of exasperation in his tone. He rose up to go into the kitchen, filling a mug up with water and glaring at the new microwave in consternation. He was still reading all the buttons when he heard her sigh and move beside him to turn it on.

"For being a genius, you sure are an idiot when it comes to simple appliances." She told him, her voice softening with affection.

He looked down at her, a little wary at her change of mood. When she didn't look as if she was about to breath fire again, he relaxed minutely. "I never used to like tea."

"You like it now?" Kagome moved a little closer to him.

"Not really." He told her, a shrug in his voice. But she always made it. Now it was the first thing that came to mind when he stepped into the kitchen.

Kagome sighed before reaching for his hand. "I'm sorry I didn't wait to hear your brilliant plan."

He scowled at her. "Don't mock me. It _is_ brilliant."

Kagome laughed, not being able to resist his arrogance. "Of course it is. Let's sit down and you can tell me all about it, and I promise I won't interrupt you this time."

Deciding not to call her out on her patronizing tone, Sesshoumaru followed her after she made them tea, then went over every single detail of his plan, and her part in it.


	93. Revelations

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

102: Revelations

By: Luna

…

"His plan is idiotic. You know that, don't you?" Kagome asked, tapping her feet in an off beat rhythm as she sat restlessly by Inuyasha's side on the couch while she waited for Sesshoumaru to return home.

He just grunted, typing in some type of report on the laptop that he brought with him from his apartment.

She eyed him out of the corner of her eye, pursing her lips slightly at the look of concentration on his face. "It _really_ is. You shouldn't have gone along with it." When Inuyasha only grunted again, Kagome huffed and crossed her arms. "You're just like you're brother."

He didn't grunt anything to that, since he was looking down at the keyboard and concentrating on his fingers as he typed so he wouldn't mess up. Kagome leaned in curiously, her eyes widening and her mouth dropping open in a small 'o'. "You… you _do _have a job, don't you? What are you, a private detective?"

Inuyasha jumped and slammed his laptop closed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"If you have your own money, why do you always spend Sesshoumaru's?" Kagome asked, getting a little angry. _Someone _had to get angry, right? If Sesshoumaru knew, he'd probably just huff or sigh or just do what he normally did in the face of Inuyasha's antics and ignore him.

Inuyasha slid her a glance. "_His _money? I thought it was my mothers."

Kagome clamped her mouth shut, realizing her error. When she looked at Inuyasha again, she glared at the knowing look on his face. "You knew all along? Then fact that you always manage to get in here even when we lock the door… you have a key, don't you?"

"What's with the third degree?" Inuyasha muttered a little defensively, hunching away from her.

"Why, Inuyasha?" She asked, exasperated now. "All this time… Izayoi doesn't even know, and she knows _everything_."

Inuyasha sighed irritably before leaning back against the corner of the couch and slinging his arm across the back before glaring at her. "If I did nothing to irritate Sesshoumaru, who do you think would?"

Kagome opened her mouth, then stopped. Her face dawned with realization, yet with the knowledge she wasn't sure how to proceed. The truth wasn't something she had ever entertained, and to say anything now she ran the risk of insulting Inuyasha with her instinctual disbelief.

Inuyasha continued, seemingly unaware of her inner turmoil. "My mother wouldn't intrude here unless invited. _His _mother doesn't show her face unless it serves her best interest. Our father is dead. What friends he does have are digital. If I didn't come around every now and then, whether I'm spending the money that he _allows _me to spend out of some misplaced sense of guilt, he'd be all alone in this place. If you think he's bad now, try remembering how he was when you first got here. Can you imagine how he'd be with no human contact at all?"

While Kagome processed this, he turned back to his laptop. She stared at him, unable to hide her awe. Inuyasha didn't resent his brother at all. At least not in a way everyone else assumed. Maybe not at all. In his own way, he was showing his brother that he cared. Sesshoumaru probably understood it, which was why he never seemed to really mind half of what Inuyasha did, even if it was at his expense.

And it also explained why, out of all the people he could have turned to with the truth about his marriage, he had turned to Inuyasha. Inuyasha, the younger brother who hadn't hesitated coming to his brothers aid.

She sighed, just a little sad, but it was directed mostly at herself for being so blind to what had been right in front of her all along, only she just hadn't bothered to look. Or maybe it was more accurate to say that she _had _looked, but she just hadn't _seen_. She just listened to hearsay and had allowed herself to be swayed.

Frowning slightly when something that Inuyasha said struck her as odd, she hesitantly ventured, "_Mis_placed guilt? What do mean?"

Inuyasha sighed again and stopped typing. He turned to her, and it was obvious he was settling in for a long telling, so Kagome got more comfortable. "I'm sure my mother gave you the gist about Rin, right?" Kagome nodded. "I'll tell you _everything _that had happened. But!" he added when she opened her mouth, "No interrupting! This is my story, and your job is to shut up and listen. Got it?"

Kagome nodded. "Got it."


	94. Bastard

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

103: Bastard

By: Luna

…

"Despite what my mother believes, the truth is that my father really was a bastard." Inuyasha started, his voice carrying just a hint of bitterness. "He and Aiko were almost identical personality wise, which explains why they couldn't stand each other half the time. Taisho was at the top of his game. He was first. He _always _came first."

Kagome raised her hand, smiling a little guiltily at the look on Inuyasha's face. "I'm sorry. But how does this pertain to any sense of misplaced guilt?"

"Do want to know or don't you?" Inuyasha barked. "Then shut up and do what I told you and stop interrupting me." When Kagome only huffed and glared half hearted at him, he relaxed and continued with his tale.

"My father had no intention of honoring the promises he gave my mother." he admitted. "He never had."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, ignoring Inuyasha's exasperated sigh.

"Sesshoumaru _knew_ that." Inuyasha said quietly. "And so did I."


	95. Guilt and Anger

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

104: Guilt and Anger

By: Luna

…

"_You cannot be serious." Eighteen-year-old Sesshoumaru snarled, his fingers clenching and unclenching in a furious effort to control the sudden uncontrollable rage that boiled to life inside him. The emotion was unfamiliar; hot like acid, yet burned like ice, and tasted vile. He did not like to feel like this. He struggled to control it, but it was difficult - nearly impossible. _

"_I assure you," Inu no Taisho said calmly. "I am."_

"_You can't take her away from me." She was _his._ His!_

"_Yes. I can." Taisho calmly pulled the petals from a white winter bloom, and watched as they skittered across the ice covering the pond. They both raised their eyes to the child skipping towards them with a toy windmill spinning crazily in her hand, her winter kimono checkered orange; her favorite color. _

_Her eyes were on Sesshoumaru; they were _always_on Sesshoumaru. His heart clenched at the sight. Love… she was the only one that loved him. She was his; his daughter, his family. She would not be taken away from him. He would not allow it! "The adoption papers are already signed."_

"_And easily misplaced." Taisho turned to his oldest son, his eyes narrowed and ice cold. "You're too young to care for a girl child, and not capable of caring enough." His fathers words were harsh, final. "You have no choice."_

"_I will always have a choice," Sesshoumaru hissed. "And I'll kill you before I ever let you take what's mine."_

_He turned on his heel and left. He did not want Rin to see him so angry._


	96. Grief

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

105: Grief

By: Luna

…

_His mother had been right. _

_She warned him not to let his feelings get the best of him. Warned him not to care about anyone too deeply, because anyone you cared about had the power to hurt you. She said certain kind of hurts were unbearable, and one had to learn not to feel anything at all._

_Never again, he vowed. Never again would he care for someone else. As his father aptly demonstrated, people could be easily taken away. _

_Inuyasha, young though he was, seemed more subdued than usual, though oddly enough he seemed more understanding of Sesshoumaru, and more angry at their father. He wondered if he overheard his fathers plan in regards to his mother, right before Sesshoumaru was informed of his plans for Rin. _

_It seems this time they both lost. Their father made sure of that. _

_While he sat there, staring at the wall with eyes blanked by shocked grief, he could not get past the truth of that statement. Grief was a heavy shackle bearing him down, dragging him deep underneath the murky waters of his agony. She had been his. All his. She had been in his life for a short time, but she had left such an impact that the loss left him reeling. She had been his daughter. She had looked up to him… and he had let her down. _

_It seems his father had been right, in more ways than one. _

_In the end, he really did take Rin away from him._


	97. Promises are meant to be…

Standard disclaimer applies.

Happy Mother's Day!

...

Maid for You

Promises are meant to be…

By: Luna

…

"_You will break your promise?" _

_Fourteen-year-old Inuyasha froze behind a group of trees when he heard Sesshoumaru's voice, sounding so stilted with disbelief. To Sesshoumaru, honor was everything; for someone to break their word was tantamount to treason for him. _

_Inuyasha was afraid to break through the clearing and announce his presence, lest his brothers rage be redirected at him. Though never malicious or cruel, Sesshoumaru made it clear that he was to stay away from him. He didn't appreciate signs of weakness, and Inuyasha was a glaring example of his fathers lack of control; of his infidelity. _

"_Izayoi and Inuyasha will be removed from the estate soon enough." Taisho's voice was very distinct, deep and rich and currently as cold as the ice that covered the lake._

_The breath seized in Inuyasha's lungs, and he actually clutched at his heart when it gave a painful lurch in his chest. What was he saying? His father wouldn't kick them out. He loved them. He _did_. _

"_What will happen to them?" Sesshoumaru demanded. "Izayoi is not trained for anything. She will starve."_

"_That's not true," Taisho said with a smirk. "She's very talented in certain areas."_

_Inuyasha peaked through the trees, so shocked he actually felt numb, and watched the disbelief mixed with disgust cross his brothers face before rage took over, and for some reason that rage made Inuyasha feel better… just a little. _

"_Inuyasha is a boy." Sesshoumaru said through gritted teeth. "He has not even passed middle school yet. He is too young for work."_

_Taisho shrugged. "They'll get by."_

"_You are condemning them to death!"_

_Taisho looked at his eldest son, looking amazed. "Why do you care? You've never paid them any mind before."_

"_Izayoi has always been kind, even when I was not. And Inuyasha is," A tight expression passed over Sesshoumaru's face, as if what he was saying was difficult. "Inuyasha is my brother. You are throwing family out on the streets."_

_Inuyasha watched his older brother silently, and when the wind blew coldly across his face he was surprised to find that he was crying. Family. Sesshoumaru said he was family. Dully, he looked to his father. Taisho was smiling, but it wasn't a good smile. _

"_You don't even know what family is." His father sneered. "Everything you say, _she_ has said it first. And Izayoi is not family; she is nothing but my mistress. Quit pretending that you have learned so much in so short a time. Rin is just a child; you don't really think I believe she taught you anything? Where is this coming from, Sesshoumaru? What do you want?"_

_Taisho swiped a dismissive hand through the air. "Forget that, I don't care." _

_Sesshoumaru looked shell-shocked, an echo of what Inuyasha was feeling. Of what he _should_ be feeling. Instead, all he felt was hollow, and cold, and _alone_. He had never known his father could be so cruel. Distantly, he wondered if that was why Sesshoumaru and his mother were as cold as they were, for they never smiled or looked happy. _

_Well, until recently… Sesshoumaru seemed more relaxed. Inuyasha spotted him at the park with a young girl, and he had been _smiling_. Only, he wasn't smiling now. In fact, he looked a little sick. Inuyasha wondered what he missed._

"_You cannot be serious." He hissed, and Inuyasha noted dully that his cool façade was gone; in its place was a beast, one that was snarling and ugly, and it scared Inuyasha. _

"_I assure you," Taisho said calmly. "I am."_

"_You can't take her away from me." Who? Inuyasha asked silently. Take who? His mother? _

"_Yes. I can." Taisho held a couple of white flowers in his big hands, and one by one pulled out the petals until he held nothing but a stem, and all three of them watched the petals skate across the lake's park, an eerie dance made by the wind. _

_Inuyasha heard laughter, and he turned dull golden eyes to the source, and watched as a little girl skip towards the two men. Inuyasha wanted to call out to her, to warn her; stay away, don't come near, don't listen to this. This was poison, Inuyasha thought, already feeling the toxins move through his body, through his heart. It was killing him. _

"_The adoption papers are already signed." Sesshoumaru was saying._

"_And easily misplaced. You're too young to care for a girl child, and not capable of caring enough. You have no choice." He heard his father speaking, but he could not bare to turn and look, and instead focused on the little girl, at the happiness in her eyes as she gazed upon his brother. _

"_I will always have a choice," Sesshoumaru hissed. "And I'll kill you before I ever let you take what's mine."_

_Inuyasha turned only when he saw confusion touch the little girls face, and followed her gaze to Sesshoumaru's retreating back, stiff with rage. _

"_Rin!" His father called out, joyous, as if the encounter with Sesshoumaru never happened. "Come down here, girl. How have you enjoyed the festival?"_

_Rin smiled, though it wasn't like the smile she gave his brother. More respectful and docile than the wild happiness moments before. "Very good, Taisho-sama. Rin is enjoying herself very much. See?" She held up her windmill for inspection._

_Inuyasha turned away, leaning weakly against one of the trees as he let his fathers words flow over him, through him, until he heard nothing except the wail of sorrow that ripped through him, out of him, silent and crippling. _

_He fell to his knees, felt the thin layer of snow on the ground melt into his jeans, but couldn't find it in him to care. Who cared if he died right then? He would be dead soon enough, without a home, without food, and without his father. They would die without support, Inuyasha _knew_ this. He didn't know how to do anything. And who would hire a minor, anyways?_

_A scream, short and girlish, ripped through the air, and Inuyasha jerked his head up at the sound. He was up and running before he remembered giving his body the command to move, and he turned the corner just as both his father and Rin fell through the ice on the lake. _

_His father was scrabbling, one hand reaching for purchase on the ice while the other clutched at the struggling girl, who went wild the minute her small body was dropped in the ice. Inuyasha skidded along the icy surface just as both of them went under, and he plunged both arms into the ice water in search of something solid. His father didn't know how to swim; he knew that. But did Rin?_

_Inuyasha's hand caught at something, fisted. His body was sliding, and he took a deep breath just as his head sunk below the surface, and he opened his eyes. Inuyasha had caught at the material on Rin's kimono; he looked to the left, his arm reaching for his fathers hand, grasping, gripping. _

_His father… the one that raised him, who he had thought loved him. The father that was, as Sesshoumaru said, about to condemn them to death on the streets. Who was to condemn Sesshoumaru, by taking away his most precious person. He didn't love them. He didn't love anybody. It was just control; all this was just about control, saying Hi, I'm bigger than you, I'm stronger, I hold your life in my careless hands, and I can throw it away if I choose to. His father, who was about to throw _him_ away…_

_For just one moment, Inuyasha caught his fathers panicked eyes from under the water. _

_And then he let go of his hand. _


	98. Choice and Consequence

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

Choice and Consequence

By: Luna

…

"It was stupid," Inuyasha said quietly. "He had picked her up as she showed off her toy, and he thought she'd get a kick of walking on the ice... I don't think he realized how deep it was, or how thin the ice. You see," Inuyasha said to Kagome, who was silently crying next to him. "Sesshoumaru felt that he killed them. Don't ask me why, it clearly wasn't his fault - but he always blamed himself."

"But he didn't." Kagome whispered.

"No," Inuyasha confirmed, his eyes downcast, his expression tortured. "I did. I was so _angry_ and... I let go. To be honest, I wouldn't have been able to save him anyways; my dad was a big man - tall like Sesshoumaru, but thick as a tree. I would never have been able to save him. But I can't _forget_," he whispered sadly. "And I can't forgive... because I let him go. My own father..._ I let him go_."

"But... but-"

"But _nothing_," Inuyasha interupted harshly. "I let him go, Kagome. On purpose. Even if I wouldnt have been able to save him, I let him go all the same."

Kagome was silent, not knowing what to say, as tears running unchecked down her face. Finally, she asked, "Rin?"

"I tried to save her." Inuyasha looked away, eyes distant. "I tried doing CPR, tried warming her up; she wouldn't respond, wouldn't listen. She just laid there staring up at the sky. I can still see her face to this day, this expression of such disbelief, like she couldn't understand why or what was happening."

"And… Taisho?"

"They managed to pull his body out later that day." Inuyasha said quietly. "So… really. Sesshoumaru shouldn't feel guilty at all. I could have saved him. I could have _tried_. But I didn't. I held his hand… and then I let him go."

"No." Kagome said, her voice trembling just a little. "You wouldn't have been able to save them both. You had a choice, it was true - but Rin was just a little girl."

"And he was just my father." Inuyasha looked at her, eyes sad. "I killed my own father. I _wanted_ it to happen. He was going to be the cause of so much pain… I let him go. Kagome, I let him go."

Kagome reached for him, and for a moment Inuyasha let himself be held. He pulled away, smiling wryly. "Sesshoumaru doesn't know. I know you're good at keeping secrets. Would you mind keeping this one to yourself?"

Nodding, Kagome sniffled. "B-but… why did he save you? He didn't have to."

"We were _family_, Kagome." Inuyasha gently reminded her. "And Sesshoumaru never turns his back on his family. In reality, he didnt have to... but he did. I'll never be able to make it up to him. If we had been thrown out on the streets... Taisho destroys everything he touches. Every_one_ he touches. I don't think he knew any other way to live. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand... I think he craves family."

Kagome thought of Aiko and agreed. Sesshoumaru and his mother obviously didn't get along; when Kagome invited his mother to dinner, he could have refused - but he didn't. If Inuyasha thought she was going to turn away from him because of his story, he was wrong. If anything, admiration for him grew, just as the love in her heart for Sesshoumaru spread inside her so full she felt she would burst, and she cried a little more instead.

Sesshoumaru came home to Kagome crying. "What did you do to her?" he snarled, striding over to pull her up and into his arms. "What happened?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and closed his laptop once again, hiding the reports from his business. He was a private investigator, and damn good at it, but he didn't want Sesshoumaru to know just yet. He preferred having everyone underestimate him, though he knew Kagome would probably blurt it out as soon as she was alone with her husband.

"Nothing," Kagome sniffled, burying her face against Sesshoumaru. "The stress is just getting to me."

As Sesshoumaru stroked a hand over her hair, Inuyasha was watching with a thoughtful expression on his face. "You know what I just realized?" He waited for them to look at him. "This is the most I've ever seen you willingly leave your apartment. How do you like the outside world, Sesshoumaru?"

"It's tedious." He gave Kagome an absent pat on her shoulders as he moved into the kitchen. "I think we should bring one more player into the game."

Kagome blinked at him. "Who?"

"Don't you know anyone in this business who hates Naraku as much as you do? Someone who might be able to pull off an inside job?" Sesshoumaru asked her, coming out of the kitchen with a glass of water. "Preferably someone a little mean."

Kagome's immediate refusal stopped as she considered. "Not Miroku. He reports everything to Naraku, even though he doesn't really like him. He's conned more women than I have fingers and toes, and I don't know if he's gotten a little too used to this business."

Sesshoumaru sighed. "So there's no one?"

Gazing up at him thoughtfully, she murmured, "Well, there might be one person I know…"


	99. Shark

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

Shark

By: Luna

…

Kagura hadn't been someone either man expected. When Inuyasha opened the door, he had been expecting someone a little less… vixenish, maybe a little shy and vulnerable looking. He hadn't expected a slinky woman in a skin tight black dress to be standing there and staring at him like he was her next meal.

She had generous curves that were fully defined in her black dress, long shapely legs and pretty feet encased in red stilettos. Her full mouth was painted cherry red and always seemed to be curved up in a mocking smile, and her cinnamon eyes were exotic and cynical.

Her skin was pale, and when she turned to shrug off her fur coat, he took in the long, bare strip of skin of her back and swallowed hard when realized her dress was only being held up by the ties around her neck. On her back was a tattoo of a large, angry Chinese dragon that seemed to be clawing its way up to heaven. It was a beautiful piece, and made her seem even more seductive and sensuous than Inuyasha thought possible.

While his jaw was glued to the floor, Kagura merely stared down at him in amusement. When her eyes flitted past him and shot to Kagome, she sneered. "Please tell me this fool isn't the illustrious Sesshoumaru Taisho, is he? He seems incapable of speech."

Kagome raised her brow. "No way. This is his brother, Inuyasha. Please forgive him, he was dropped one too many times as a child."

Huffing, Kagura breezed into the room. "You said you wanted to take down Naraku. By all means, please tell me how you wish to accomplish this."

Sesshoumaru strode into the room at that instant, and Kagura's eyes feasted on his form like a shark scenting prey. She smiled, slow and sensuous. "Well, hello handsome. And who might you be?"

Kagome looked perturbed. "_My _husband, Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru, please meet Kagura Ito, Naraku's wife."


	100. Ace

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

109: Ace

By: Luna

…

Kagura hung on Sesshoumaru's arm as soon as the door closed, and flirted with him through out the afternoon as they detailed their plan. Sesshoumaru didn't look offended at the piranha attached to his arm, Kagome thought angrily. No, the jerk had the nerve to look amused.

"Sesshoumaru, can you please help me bring out the tea?" Kagome asked abruptly. She stomped her way into the kitchen without waiting for an answer. She set the kettle she bought the other day on the stove and turned on the heat just as Sesshoumaru came into the kitchen.

"Is the tea ready?" he asked.

"Obviously not." she huffed, her back still to him.

Oblivious to his wife's mood, Sesshoumaru merely hummed in absent acknowledgement and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms and staring down at the floor as he went over the plan silently. "Are you sure we can trust her? As Naraku's wife, she might be a liability."

"Well it's too late now, isn't it?" She snaped, crossing her arms and refusing to turn back to him. "Besides, I wouldn't have invited her here if I didn't think we can trust her. Believe me, if anyone has reason to hate Naraku, it's Kagura."

"Why do you say that?" Sesshoumaru asked, moving to bring down a few mugs.

"She was the first." She said softly, watching as steam started to puff out of the spout. "She's the one that has to bear his touch every night. And from what she once told me, he's as sick in bed as he is out of it. She doesn't want to stomach his depravity as much as I want to stay trapped."

"Yes, she does seem a little desperate," Sesshoumaru murmured, thinking of her clothes and attitude that screamed _look at me! _He recognized that type of woman; the desperate, needy kind that wore a shell of armor for protection, but still needed such desperate reassurance through forced confidence. He raised his brows at Kagome's gasp, watching as she pivoted around to glare at him.

"Don't talk like that about Kagura! You'd be desperate too if you were her!" She crossed her arms again turned her nose up with a huff. "Besides, it doesn't seem as if you _mind _desperate women."

Finally realizing that something was wrong, he eyed her warily as the kettle began to scream and she took it off the stove to pour it in a serving pot before setting the mugs around it on a tray. "No. She just seems a little…"

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. "A little… what, exactly?"

Sesshoumaru coughed and picked up the tray. "Nothing. Let's go, shall we?"

Kagura was leaning back against the couch in a seductive pose, and watched them approach from beneath her lush lashes. She took in Sesshoumaru's blank expression and Kagome's pouty one and smiled to herself. It was so fun to tease her sometimes. "Oh good, you're back." She purred, leaning forward and showing off her generous bosom. "I'm parched."

She almost laughed when Kagome took a seat next to Kagura almost defiantly, and glared at Sesshoumaru until he sat across from them. "So tell me," she started. "who is this 'ace in the hole' you keep mentioning? I really don't know anyone who would be able to stop Naraku without killing him."

Kagome and Sesshoumaru exchanged a glance before meeting her eyes. "That may be true for some people," Sesshoumaru told her. "but you haven't met my mother."


	101. Favor

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for you

Favor

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru dressed carefully for this meeting; his shoes were shined, his hair brushed to a gloss, and the soft gray Italian suit and purple tie smoothed to perfection. His cuff links were diamonds, and he wore his signet ring on his pinkie finger - the only gold jewelry he owned, and never worn willingly.

He was let inside the interior of the mansion without qualm - he may have fled the Taisho household for nearly a decade, but he would always be recognized. The servants were the same; look down, stay silent, stay invisible. It was oppressing, he thought, looking around the sparkling white interior.

The carpets were pristine white, the walls white, with the occasional light blue accent wall to keep the room tasteful. Sesshoumaru hated it. He had always hated it. When his father moved out to stay in Izayoi's housing quarters on the far corner of the estate, Aiko had ripped every single item he owned and burned them, then redecorated the house to her liking. His father never said a word; Sesshoumaru had once wondered if he had even noticed.

The maid that showed him in bowed low, and she gestured silently to precede her to the landing. Once the door was firmly closed behind him, he was led outside to the gardens, where he found his mother basking in the shade of a jasmine tree, wearing loose cotton pants and a white blouse.

She dropped her sunglasses low down her nose as she eyed him speculatively. "Well, well. I didn't think I'd see you again so soon. Maybe in… five years? Seven? Who knows with you."

Sesshoumaru raised a cool brow, watching as she curled her legs and swung upright before gracefully standing. She wore flats, and he realized in surprise that she had the same petite frame as Kagome, and the top of her head barely reached his shoulders. He didn't think he'd ever see her without heels, and he hadn't realized she was so tiny. It felt... odd, not knowing this about his own mother.

Shifting, he gestured towards the house. "We need to talk."

She smiled, her face as cool and composed as his. "I highly doubt we need to catch up. Unless you've decided to accept my offer regarding your little wife."

His facial muscles didn't even twitch, but his eyes flashed molten, then glacier cold as he stared down hard at the woman who birthed him. "No. I have not."

Sighing, she shrugged her shoulders and moved towards the house. "That's too bad. It's been a while since I was able to arrange one of those."

Sesshoumaru followed her, not knowing if he should believe her, and stopped only to stare at the interior of the study in amazement. The room was dark and moody, walls lined with books that were placed there for presentation rather than reading. The rest of the room was littered with thick leather chairs, with a few paintings hung carelessly on the walls. It was his fathers room. Probably the only one in the house she had not painted white.

When he met her blank eyes, she shrugged, her eyes lying. "Too much of a bother." She said in answer to the question in his eyes. "And it's not as if you ever came in here to notice."

She gestured to the leather seat opposite of her desk. "Have a seat. This must be important for you to get all dressed up on my account."

He sat, and waited as she lounged in his fathers chair. Her posture was relaxed, but her eyes were keen and focused on his face. Sesshoumaru nodded once. "I am willing to start the process of takeover. I have already been taught since infancy for the role; I need merely a few weeks to get myself acquainted with the business."

Aiko's brows shot up in surprise. "You are, are you? And what brought about this change? From what I understand, you're little computer hobby pays you quite well."

He enjoyed what he did so, to her, he supposed it did seem like a hobby. Aiko never did what she truly enjoyed; she feared the loss of it too much to take a risk for happiness. And, to be honest, Sesshoumaru wasn't sure how he'd be able to handle happiness on his mother; he doubted he's ever seen it there before. Don't care, don't love, don't enjoy. It was what she had taught him, and after Rin they had been rules he lived by, for the first time understanding what she had told him so many times. But then Kagome came and… He could not follow that advice anymore. He did not want to.

"It does." He confirmed.

"Hnn." Her fingers drummed on the desk once, quickly. "And what brought this change in you so abruptly?"

His mother often said she was eager to be rid of his fathers business, but he knew it was one burden she didn't all together hate. The business equaled family tradition and connections; she was too well trained to slack from tradition and too greedy to lose her connections. It would not be easy to take the business from her, Sesshoumaru concluded. And doing so would also ensure he saw more of her, because she never retracted her claws once bared, and after so long they would be sunk deep in his fathers business.

That was fine. He could not accomplish what he needed to do without resorting to murder, and he doubted he would be able to get away with it if he tried. This way, though he would sacrifice, was much more simple and clean.

"Does it matter?" He asked, sitting back in his seat. "I will finally be claiming my birthright, and the heavy burden will be lifted from your shoulders. Everybody wins."

Her eyes, so gold and similar to his own, narrowed. "Do not take me for a fool. You're too much like me, and everything you do has a reason. You must want something very bad indeed if you are resorting to such heavy handed bribery. You do not want this empire. Do not try to convince me otherwise, for you would be lying."

Sesshoumaru conceded that point to her. In some ways she knew him not at all, while others were uncannily accurate. "You are correct." He told her seriously. "And I do want something very bad indeed."

She watched him with those gold, cat-like eyes, her face a cool mask. Then she looked out the window, her eyes hooded. "You've never asked me for anything. Not ever, not even as a child. That is good, because I doubt I would have been as tolerant of you as a child as I was." Sesshoumaru snorted at that. Her version of being tolerant meant being absent. Aiko continued, bringing those sharp eyes back to his. "In this case, I'd like to know what you're asking. Do you need me to take care of someone? I will, you know. For you."

When Sesshoumaru's lips tightened and his expression turned grim, Aiko nodded knowingly. "I thought it would something like that. You'd never come calling otherwise, or beg quite so elegantly. Perhaps because of that… in this case, Sesshoumaru…" She paused, then continued with an audible sigh. "Really. All you need to do is ask."


	102. Visit

Standard disclaimer applies.

My first Maid for you fanart, drawn by Shelby Goodspeed! Everyone please feel free to check it out! It's absolutely amazing!

http: / sesshomarusama33. deviantart. com/ #/ d3gtelj

(just be sure to take out the spaces!)

Maid for You

Visit

By: Luna

…

Kagura showed up a few days later, at a time when Sesshoumaru was alone at the apartment. He opened the door to her wearing a tight red dress and stilettos, her hair twisted back with two ornamental hair pieces holding it all together. She ran her eyes down his body as if she were hungry, and Sesshoumaru felt a moment of panic. He looked over her shoulder, hoping to see Kagome standing with her.

Kagura's knowing smirk was his answer. "It's just you and me. I thought we'd go over this battle plan of yours one more time."

Sesshoumaru hesitated for just a moment before allowing her inside. He waited until she sat, and then lounged against the wall opposite of her. "What part don't you understand?"

She checked her nails obliquely. "I can barely hear you, Sesshoumaru. Come and sit down, I don't bite… much."

Narrowing his eyes, Sesshoumaru moved closer, but he still didn't sit. "The plan is simple. You know where Naraku keeps his paperwork. I know how to fry his computer without taking a step inside his house. You destroy the paperwork, and I'll destroy his files. Then my mother-"

"Yes, yes." She said, impatient now. She stood and walked towards him, her exotic eyes that rare cinnamon that at the moment looked too hungry… and not for food. He stiffened when she leaned in close to him, her red tipped fingers walking a line up his chest until they rested against his collarbone.

"What do you think you're doing?" He demanded.

She seemed amused at his biting tone. Her voice was a sexy murmur that whispered against his chin. "What does it look like? It's been a long time since I've been with someone other than Naraku. Something tells me it's been a long time for you, too. Wouldn't you like a taste of paradise?"

"How would you know whether I've been with Kagome or not?" He asked, his eyes narrowed, rage burning through his veins hotly. This was a woman Kagome _trusts_. How could she do something like this?

Kagura laughed softly. "Sweet, innocent Kagome." She whispered, and for a moment Sesshoumaru was confused, for she sounded affectionate. But then her eyes pierced his, and he met them evenly, furiously. "I would know whether you've picked _that_ flower. Now…"

When her hands started sliding low, Sesshoumaru grasped her wrist painfully, and heard her gasp of pain as she jerked away from him. He let her go, and stood immobile as she glared at him.

"What did you do that for?" She hissed.

"You are supposed to be Kagome's friend," Sesshoumaru growled. "The first person she thought of when asked who she could trust. You may belong to Naraku, but Kagome belongs to _me_. And I'm hers. _Only_ hers. Now get out of my house."

"All things come to those who wait, I take it?" She asked coolly. "Just how long are you planning to wait? Until Naraku gets destroyed? That may take a while. Sometimes women start to feel insecure when their men do not show any desire for them, and affection can only prove so much. You're a very cold man, and it makes me wonder... do you feel any desire at all? There's not many who can resist me, yet you didn't react at all. Maybe you _are_ just a cold fish. Or are you really that devoted?"

She studied him coolly, her posture calm and relaxed, one hand propped on a shapely hip. Then, amazingly enough, she smiled. A real smile, that lasted for only a moment before it slipped from her face and that hard, cynical shell settled once again. "I had to make sure." She said calmly. "Kagome's so young and impressionable. She feels too much, and I knew something like this might happen with her on her first assignment. Many women fall in love with their jobs - literally. Bad things happen to them, which is why most girls only get bought repeatedly by the same customer, over and over, because they can never change their fate once caught in Naraku's web. They never win. She said you were kind. But _I_ didn't know if you were kind. I had to make sure."

Sesshoumaru eyed her suspiciously. "Why are you with Naraku? I hacked his entire database, and you weren't mentioned. Ever. Why is that?"

Kagura turned hooded eyes out the balcony windows. "Once upon time, he owned my heart. I was just like Kagome. Only I learned the hard way what it feels like to believe in make believe fairytales. I built a castle upon on sand. Then I had to watch as it crumbled beneath my feet." She turned her eyes to him, cold and hard. "Naraku's a bad man. You're computer can't tell you the darkness that lurks in that mans soul, of the depravity he is capable of. I want to watch his world crumble beneath him like it did with me. And when he's on his knees, I'm going to do what his mother should have done when he was born." When she smiled, there was a feverish edge to it, a hint of malicious glee. "Then he won't ever have to put another woman - or man - through what I've been through. So you see, Kagome was right in coming to me. Nobody wants to see him dead more than I do."

Kagura turned at that and headed for the kitchen. Curious, cautious, Sesshoumaru followed her. She was freely digging through the refrigerator by the time he got to the kitchen, and she pulled out a gallon of fresh squeezed lemonade before turning to the cabinets and rooting through them until she found two glasses.

"Such a little homemaker, isn't she?" She said, her voice affectionate; completely different than she had been a moment before, that made him wonder what exactly Naraku had done to her - is still doing to her. She raised a brow at Sesshoumaru's expression. "What?"

"I did not get the impression you two got along." He told her cautiously.

Kagura laughed before taking a sip of lemonade, eyeing him from over the top of her glass. "Oh, we get along just fine. I wouldn't have come here for her otherwise."

"Why?" Sesshoumaru baldly asked. Kagome was so… _Kagome_. The woman before him was a viper. The two women couldn't be anymore different from each other.

"Why?" Kagura tapped a few nails against the counter top before jerking one shoulder. "She helped me after an encounter with my spouse. When I retaliated she kept my secret from him. I owed her, I guess."

Sesshoumaru waited a beat. "And that's it? You expect me to believe that you would go against Naraku because of one kept little secret?"

She smiled, razor sharp. "Oh, it wasn't a little one. He would have killed me if she had told… but then, she would have become his next bride, so maybe that is why she helped me."

That didn't sound like his Kagome. She would have helped her because it was right; he doubted she even thought of the consequences if she hadn't helped Kagura. "What did you do?"

"Do you really think I'd tell you?" She asked, brow raised. "Anyways, after that incident the little idiot decided that it was her job to take care of me. It comforts her, I think, when she has someone to take care of." Her eyes swept the apartment. "She has her hands full with you, I assume. She told me this place was a dump when she first got here."

Lips twisted wryly, he only murmured, "Hnn."

She drained her glass, then met his eyes coolly, challenging him. "Kagome isn't like me, and she's not like you. If something bad were to happen, if her heart were broken, she would never fully recover. So listen up, because I hate repeating myself. If you hurt her in any way after all the trouble she's going through to be with you, I will break every bone in your body, as well as cut off your parts and shove them down your throat. I have killed before, and I have no qualms about doing it again. Do we understand each other?"

"I do - As long as _you_ understand that if you betray her to Naraku, if you betray her at all, it will be the last thing you ever do."

She eyed him for a moment as if testing his merit, before smiling. "You _are_ like me. I had wondered."

Sesshoumaru stiffened. "I am _nothing_ like you."

"You are willing to do anything it takes to get what you want." Kagura inclined her head. "Two birds of a feather, you and I. Oh, don't look at me like that. If it makes you feel better, I'm more mercenary than you. If it served my purpose, I'd step on anyone, no matter who they are. I have a feeling that you would be more inclined to watch where you step."

She sighed, pouring herself more lemonade. Sesshoumaru watched her, disliking her but feeling a certain respect for her as well. She said, "In this case, we'll both get our happily ever afters. That is, unless you ruin it. Then I'd kill you despite her objections."

It was said so casually that it took a minute for the words to register, but when they did Sesshoumaru could only admire her for it. He poured himself a glass, and tapped it casually against hers. "Hnn. You are much kinder than you like to appear."

She grinned, a quick flash of teeth. "Don't bet on it. Turn your back on me, and I'll rip your throat out."

Sesshoumaru huffed in amusement. "Cease your nagging, before I start to accuse you of being a mother hen. She is mine. He is not allowed to have her. You have no reason to worry."

"Oh, I always worry." Kagura was smiling, but there was a flash in her eyes that was dark.

Sesshoumaru watched the woman in front of him, a woman that was obviously driven to extreme lengths more than once, though her battles were her own and he truly had no interest in knowing them. But he also realized that… she was right. They were alike, at least in one way.

Her eyes, her attitude told him everything. She did certain things, and acted certain ways to control the situation around her to the best of her ability. She was someone that had been kicked when she was down, repeatedly, to the point where she either broke or became something meaner than what oppressed her.

She reminded him of… himself. When he was younger, raging against his fathers rule and his mothers indifference.

To Sesshoumaru, it was obvious who was her oppressor. Naraku, to be sure, but he thought it went deeper than that. He truly didn't think she was capable of love, so desperation must have drove her to him, but what had caused that desperation to begin with?

One man, two… it didn't matter. It was in her eyes as she stared at him; in the mocking curl of her lips as she smiled at him. She hated _all_ men. And she hated _him_, though whether it was his gender or something else he didn't know.

His eyes were narrowed now, and cool. "She _is _mine. And no one will take her from me."

In the end she merely saluted him with her glass. "We shall see."


	103. Kagura and Naraku

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You has won Joint 3rd Place for Dokuga's 1st Quarter 2011 Alternate Universe/Reality! Thank you everyone who voted, it means so much to me! You guys are awesome!

**Warnings: **Though I will not go into detail, this chapter does feature dark themes. Please be warned and arm yourself accordingly!

Maid for You

Kagura and Naraku

By: Luna

…

Kagura stepped through the doors of Naraku's country manor, placing the keys of her Porsche on the small table on the inside of the entryway. The house was eerily quiet, and she paused for a moment before making her way deeper into the house. The house was opulent to the extreme, with rich burgundy drapes and Persian rugs, and antiques graced every room, from the Queen Anne side board to the Monet's and Titian's; his house was a museum of arts, though to her it always seemed gaudy.

Naraku was always pretending to be something he was not.

In this case, he was trying to imitate class.

She passed by the door of the blue drawing room, and paused when she saw a long leggy blonde and a black haired beauty lounging inside. She propped herself against the doorway and raised a cool brow at the blonde.

"Get lost." She ordered, and glared when the woman took her time getting up and walking out door.

She looked back at the woman remaining, and raised a cool brow in askance. "Hanging with trash now, Kikyo?"

Kikyo huffed and turned a page of the magazine she was reading without looking up. "Who I hang out with is none of your concern, Kagura." She said lazily, her voice a clear, cool murmur. "What do you want, anyways? You rarely come back so soon once you leave your cage."

"You're one to talk," she huffed, and sat gracefully down in the spot the blonde just vacated. "Besides, I've come with information you might be interested in."

The woman's brown eyes flicked up to hers, the only show of interest she displayed. Kagura smiled and draped her arms over the back of the couch. "But maybe you're not interested."

Kikyo sighed and stood, the black Chinese cheongsam she wore rippling with her movement, the slit running high up her thigh and flashing a tantalizing strip of leg with every movement. "There is nothing you can say that will interest me."

"Even if I tell you I've found 'the one?'" Kagura murmured, making a show of checking her nails while watching Kikyo's every movement from the corner of her eye.

"I should never have told you." Kikyo said flatly, turning her back to Kagura. "I have forgotten how like your husband you have become."

Stung, Kagura stood. "I'm not lying." She hissed. "And you need only be a bitch when you're getting paid."

She swept by the other woman without another word, barely resisting stomping her feet as she made her way upstairs to her bedroom. She didn't think Naraku would be home at this time of day, but the minute the door closed behind her a cold shiver ran down her spine, and she stood frozen for a minute before casually walking to the bed, kicking her shoes off before she sat on the edge and started to take off her earrings.

"You're home early." His dark voice came from behind her, and though she shivered in dread on the inside, outwardly she showed no emotion. "Are you finished attempting to kill me for today?"

"I'll never stop trying to kill you." She said calmly, and placed both discarded earrings on the night stand. She eyed him from over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow at the burn marks on the back of his neck, courtesy of her last attempt. "Too bad I didn't succeed last time."

Naraku crawled up behind her on the bed and ran his hands over her shoulders, taking the straps of her dress with him as he ran his hands down her arms. "Oh really? Kagome claimed you were with her when it happened. Was she lying? A cohort? Or perhaps both of you were only too willing to let someone else be punished for your crimes."

Kagura doubted Kagome even realized that Naraku killed who they claimed started the fire. Naraku continued, stroking his hands down her back, "Perhaps I shall pay her a visit after all. I've missed my favorite pet, and by now that fool Taisho took her virginity. Her price will go down considerably, but at least now I can have fun without a loss of profit."

Kagura's heart stopped a moment before it kicked into overdrive. "I paid her a visit recently myself. I have it under authority that she is still as much a virgin as when she left this household."

"Oh really?" Naraku murmured, his lips pressing to her throat. "Then she is a failed product after all. When she gets back, I'll teach her the proper way to seduce a man."

She heard the rattle of thin chains, along with a few clattered sounds of his favorite 'toys' rattling in their box. She shivered with dread, for both herself and her little friend. "That's not necessary. According to her, he's completely impotent. Perhaps if you visit _him_, you'll teach him how to be a man."

Naraku chuckled darkly and snapped the first chain around her neck. "I take it you attempted to seduce him yourself? How does it feel to only be wanted by me? Men can see for themselves what you're worth: nothing." He turned her around, met her furious eyes with a slow, malicious smile. "So lie back, my darling, and I'll show you exactly what you're worth to _me_."


	104. Kagome, Sango, and Miroku

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

Kagome, Sango, and Miroku

By: Luna

…

Kagome was sipping a smoothie moodily, glaring down at the table top irritably. She had just gotten back from her weekly visit to her brother, and she was still smarting from her treatment by the orderly's. Apparently Naraku changed her visiting schedule without telling her, and she was now only allowed to visit Souta once a month. At least they let her see him, and he seemed healthy and happy, and the hug he gave her told her he missed her.

She was sure the old Souta was still there somewhere, locked deep inside of him where he couldn't reach anymore. It hurt her that Naraku would further restrict her access to him, and she couldn't think of why he would suddenly be cruel to her.

"Kagome? Is that you?" Kagome looked up in surprise at the unexpected voice, and blinked at the lovely vision of Sango standing in front of her in a red clingy work out suit, a small duffel bag slung over one shoulder. "I knew it!"

Sango sat down without an invitation. "Miroku told me you got married a couple of months ago. Congratulations! How come I never received an invitation?"

Smiling uneasily at the rapid questions, Kagome swept her eyes over Sango's shoulder quickly, searching for Miroku. He was never that far from his wife unless it involved work, and she didn't want to see him now. "It was a quiet wedding," Kagome answered her finally, meeting her eyes. "Pretty much just me and Sesshoumaru."

Sango's eyes widened. "Wait a minute - there's only one Sesshoumaru that I've heard of. Did you marry Sesshoumaru Taisho? He's all over the news! He's finally taking over his fathers business."

"Yes, I did, and yes, I know." Kagome said dryly. And it was taking him away from her every day he had to work late. She missed the days she was able to go into his office and know he would be there. Now, she woke up to a silent apartment, and it made her sad. "His mother finally convinced him to take over."

"Wow." Sango said with wide eyes. "I didn't know you were so rich."

Kagome laughed. "I guess. So how have you been? How's married life treating you?"

Sango glanced over her shoulder as well, as if she expected her husband to pounce on her when she wasn't looking. "Honestly, I'm starting to get irritated. You'd think after six months he'd be cooling off a little. Instead, lately he's been way too affectionate, telling me how much he loves me over and over to the point where I'm actually getting tired of hearing it. Our, ah, marriage didn't start out conventionally, but it's been going pretty good… until lately. Seriously, I wanna gag him whenever he comes near."

Knowing what would have to happen at the six month mark, Kagome knew why Miroku would feel so clingy. She wanted to warn him, to tell him to wait and that Naraku would be taken down, but she didn't trust him and didn't want to jeopardize their whole operation by warning the one man put in charge of everyone.

"I'm sorry," she said instead, and meant it. "At least your husband is around. Nowadays Sesshoumaru works too late, and he doesn't get home until I'm already in bed."

Sango laughed ruefully. "That's true, I guess. I'm actually on my way to the gym; it's the one time I can successfully get away from Miroku since he's not exactly one for the gym. Would you like to join me? I have an extra set of gym clothes if you'd like."

"Sorry," Kagome said dryly. "But I'm not one for the gym either. But next time you want to escape give me a call. My schedule has recently cleared somewhat."

Sango waved, and with that her red clad figure disappeared within the crowd of Tokyo. Not thirty seconds later Miroku sat where Sango just vacated, and Kagome pushed her smoothie away and glared at him. "What?"

Miroku raised a brow at her rude tone. "Can't I just enjoy a quiet moment with an old friend?"

"I don't recall us being friends." Kagome said flatly, gathering her purse to leave.

"Do you love your husband?" Miroku asked abruptly, and Kagome froze in the act of rising from her chair.

She sat down cautiously. "Why do you ask?"

Miroku met her eyes squarely, the expression in them raw. "Because I love my wife. I don't want to lose her. I need help to keep her."

Kagome stared at him, not knowing what to believe. She wouldn't tell him of her plans. She wouldn't risk her own happiness for that of one of her oppressors, even if he was the most kind. "I don't want to lose my husband either." She said at last. "However, I don't think I can trust you. You can't stop what's going to happen, Miroku. No one ever has."

But she will. She was _determined_ to win.

He looked down at his hands, clenched tightly together on the table top. "People do amazing things when they want to survive, Kagome. Horribly amazing things. I wanted to live. I wanted to live more than anything. Coincidentally, I had to give my life away in order to keep it. But it's not just me anymore. I _need_ to keep her safe and happy and loved. And I'd do _anything_."

Kagome understood. She would do anything for Souta. She would love to help him, but when he said he'd do anything, she knew he would - even if it meant he had to go through her, if necessary.

Kagome stood again, though she hesitated at the tortured look in Miroku's eyes. "You're not the only one trying to bring Naraku down." She said at last, refusing to meet his eyes when he jerked them up to hers in surprise. "All I'll say is wait. Wait to announce your intentions. If luck is on our side, hopefully she'll never have to know."

She started walking away, but then stopped at turned a hard eye back on a frozen Miroku. "But if you tell Naraku what _I_ intend, I'll make sure Sango knows _everything_… And I'll make sure to ruin every chance of happiness you'll ever have. Remember that if you try and rat me out."

Miroku sat back in his seat, looking shell-shocked. "I think you've been hanging out with Kagura too much." He said at last.

"Probably." Kagome said dismissively. "But the way I'm looking at it, at the moment it can only be to my advantage."


	105. Late Nights

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Warning: **This chapter will feature slight lime with a bit of suggestive themes... mainly towards the end. But no full lemon will be part of this story!

At the end of the story I will post a follow up one shot titled _**Handle With Care**_, featuring the first moment as husband and wife between Sesshoumaru and Kagome - for my adult readers only!

Maid for You

Late Nights

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru sighed wearily as he walked into a dark apartment, and wondered how his father ever found satisfaction in what he did. He hated the fact that he no longer saw Kagome, or that his plan was about to initiate without him because he was never around anymore. He wondered if Inuyasha would be up for the challenge of being his liaison, and working in his place while feeding Sesshoumaru updates. If he didn't, Sesshoumaru would hire somebody else with ambition within the company, because he wanted no part of it.

He missed Kagome. It was that simple. And he did not want to be separated from her.

He went to her bedroom, as was his custom now that he could no longer see her during the day, and cracked the door open so he'd be able to catch a glimpse of her. He liked to look in on her before he went to bed; it comforted him in ways he couldn't explain.

She wasn't there.

He walked back out and looked at the couches, and when she wasn't there he trudged to his room. Where was she? He knew she went to see her brother, and that she planned on visiting Inuyasha later. Had she stayed too late and decided to stay the night over there?

When he opened the door to his bedroom, he froze at the sight that greeted him. Kagome lay tangled in his sheets, wearing nothing but a baggy t-shirt - _his_ t-shirt, he realized - that hiked up her legs, barely revealing her pert bottom with a cherubic penguin stretched across the butt of her blue panties. She was hugging his pillow to her chest, her face buried against it, her midnight hair spread about his mattress like spilled silk.

He ached. It was the only word for it.

He shed his clothes without thought, and pulled on a baggy pair of drawstring pajama bottoms as an after thought before he crawled into bed with his wife, curling around her form and wrapping his arms tight around her waist, relishing the way she fit so snugly against him. He reached up and smoothed her hair away from her face, and softly kissed her cheek. When she sighed in her sleep and snuggled back into him, he prayed that their plan would work and he'd be able to cherish moments like this without fearing losing her in the end.

"Sesshoumaru?" She murmured sleepily.

"Go back to sleep, Kagome." He whispered back, keeping one arm wrapped snugly around her while the other one ran a wide palm up and down her flat stomach.

Instead of sleeping, she turned around and pressed herself closer, snuggling deeper in his embrace and pressing her face against the strong column of his neck. "I've missed you," she whispered, and he felt her lips feathering across his skin. "I wanted to see you."

His arms tightened around her, and he ran a hand down the crown of her head, down her slim back to her bottom, then up again. She tangled her legs with his, her arms reaching to wrap around his waist. When she felt something against her tummy, she froze and looked up at him. "Sesshoumaru…?"

He kissed her tenderly, gently plying her lips open until she lay panting against him. "Go to sleep," he ordered roughly, tucking her face once more against his neck. "I'll wake you before I leave… and you can kiss me goodbye before I go to work like a good wife should."

He felt her smiling against his skin at his teasing, then the gentle brush of her hand running over the tight muscles in his back. "But what about…"

Sesshoumaru cupped her cheeks and nudged her face up to where she could look up at him, then rest his forehead against hers. "I want… this Sesshoumaru wants to wait. Wait until this is over."

Kagome's eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed. "What do you mean?"

"I'd like to wait until the threat of Naraku is over," he repeated gently, leaning forward so he could kiss her again, unable to resist. "I'd like for us to get an annulment-" Kagome gasped, freezing in his arms. He soothed her by kissing her eyes closed, her forehead, her cheeks, then finally her lips. "Then I'd like us to get married again. For real this time. In a church, at the courthouse, I don't care; I just want to start a marriage that didn't start because of _him_. Do you understand?"

Kagome had tears in her eyes, but she was smiling with such joy he felt the knot of nerves in his stomach relax. "I understand," she whispered, and hugged him close, feeling him run his hands all the way down her… then all the way back up. She teased breathlessly, "I never knew you were such a romantic."

"Don't tell Inuyasha," he murmured, nudging her over until she lay on her back, and he was settled against her. "It would ruin my reputation."

When he bent to kiss her neck, she gasped and turned her head to give him better access. "Sesshoumaru… ah! I thought you said…"

"I did." He whispered, tugging on her earlobe with his teeth. "But it doesn't mean we can't… practice everything else in the meantime."

Kagome's wide, excited eyes told him she was willing, even though she didn't really have a clue what she should do. Smiling, slow and full of promise, Sesshoumaru leaned in close and whispered in her ear, only too willing to give her a little direction.


	106. The Plan: Phase One

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

The Plan: Phase One

By: Luna

…

Kagura leaned against the doorframe, watching as Naraku clicked frantically through his computer, then rummaged through his desk in search of the back up disks he had - that Kagura destroyed, along with all his hard paper copies.

"Is something wrong?" She asked lazily, uncaring that she wore only a red silk robe and that it was gaping open, displaying her cleavage. Naraku's desire only rose when he wished to inflict pain; she could walk around naked and she doubted he'd even feel notice.

He barely glanced up at her. "What do you want?"

She wanted to wince when her robe brushed up against one of the wounds Naraku inflicted on her, but kept her face composed. "It's odd seeing you so distressed."

He looked at her finally, a sneer twisting his full mouth. "Still holding a torch for me, are you? Who would think that you'd even care."

Kagura narrowed her eyes. "Oh, believe me, I don't. By all means, continue your fruitless search."

There was a stillness at her back when she turned to leave. "Search?" Naraku asked silkily. "Who said I was _searching_ for anything?"

Kagura looked over her shoulder, brow raised. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess when I see someone rummaging through their desks I naturally assume they were searching for something. Or were you just rearranging your desk?"

When the door closed behind her, the silence was eerie and frightening.


	107. The Plan: Phase Two

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

The Plan: Phase Two

By: Luna

…

Naraku eyed the elegant woman as she swept into his manor as if she owned the place, the sound of her heels muted by the thick Persian rugs at her feet. She paused when the door closed at her back, along with the presence of her body guard. She looked around her, raising brow at his choice of décor.

"Trying a bit hard, wouldn't you say?" She said, ignoring the way Naraku stiffened. She recognized the style of his house, and hazarded a guess at a door and was pleased when it opened up to a blue drawing room. She settled against a plush couch, eyeing the silk cords that were draped over the couches. Her lips curled back in disgust, because she knew _exactly_ what they could be used for - and it wasn't for decorations.

"What can I do for you, Lady Taisho?" Naraku asked, his voice smooth and solicitous even though he felt like slapping the smirk off her face.

"Plenty." She said immediately. "Starting with giving me the contract you coerced my son into signing."

"Lady Taisho, I have never met your son, and I have no idea what on earth you are talking about." He answered without missing a beat.

She smiled, full of the arrogance her rank demanded. "Lets get one thing clear. One, you can't buy class, and this house is a pathetic attempt at it. Two, I was suspicious the moment I found out my son married so abruptly to some _nobody_, especially knowing his habits. So I did a little research."

Her smile disappeared, and in her eyes flashed a cruelty she was well known for, her reputation stretching through out all of Japan as being a woman one did not want to mess with. "I will not allow my son to marry a little whore born from your illicit business. Null her contract, or I shall see you destroyed. It's that simple."

Naraku watched her, his hate growing by the minute. "I don't know where you got your information, Lady Taisho, but I will repeat: I have no idea what you're talking about. This is a house of charity, not prostitution. What my girls do once they get jobs elsewhere is their business. I am insulted by your accusations, and request politely that you leave my home. You have no grounds, and no proof."

Lady Taisho gave a small smile and stood with grace and poise. "I see. You will regret this, make no mistake. My son will not be dragged down by rabble such as you, and neither he nor I will pay a penny into your dirty little secret."

"Ah, but he already has, according to you." He told her, his smile becoming sly. "If I own such a business as you are purporting, then he already paid into my dirty little secret exponentially - and will again, if he ever wants to be free of me." Then he smiled innocently in the face of Lady Taisho's rage. "That is, if I did own such a business."

"Tread carefully, my little friend." Lady Taisho said as she started walking out the door. "Even spiders have a life expectancy."

"Yes, but their venom tends to have lasting effects. Good day, Lady Taisho." Naraku gave her a mocking bow as she swept past him out the door.


	108. The Plan: Phase Three

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

The Plan: Phase Three

By: Luna

…

Naraku growled, running his fingers through his hair and fisting in frustration.

Lady Taisho made good on her threat; apparently every door that had once been open - including those he once had to pry open and keep them that way through blackmail, were now slammed shut, and even the bank was demanding foreclosure unless he paid off the rest of his loan.

How could one woman had so much power? Lord Taisho's power had been known far and wide, but his wife had always been silent, hanging in the background and gathering silent supporters. It was only upon her husbands death that she came into power, and in the decade following her widowhood she became known for being ruthless when it came to getting what she wanted.

He had just never planned her attention to be drawn to _him_. And why? How had her attention been diverted to him? He was spotless. Nobody knew what went on beyond these closed doors. So how...?

Snarling, he swept everything from his desk onto the floor, then started ripping out drawers, books, and anything he could get his hands on to smash in his fit of rage. It didn't help, the rage just kept bubbling up, hotter and hotter until he felt as if he would _explode_, and if he didn't find a release for it soon he'd end up killing someone again.

Grinning maliciously, he started to make his way to his bedroom. He knew the perfect person to take his rage out on.

_Kagura_.


	109. Failure

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Warning:** Dark themes.

Maid for You

Failure

By: Luna

…

"_Kagome…?"_

Kagome moaned in her sleep, tossing and turning as a memory of her past rose up to haunt her in the form of a dream. It was the day before she was to graduate, and her family decided to celebrate early by going out to a nice restaurant, something they did very rarely.

"_We're proud of you. We're so proud of you. You'll be going to Tokyo University soon, and we wanted to give you this early, so you can wear it on your graduation. Do you like it?"_

Hands feathered over her face, and Kagome tensed even more, because despite the soothing sensation of the hands passing over her face, she knew what would happen in her dream; she knew what she would see. It was her graduation day now...

"_Kagome? What are you waiting out here for? The ceremony is about to start!"_

_Kagome turned to her friend Eri, laughing a little. "My family wanted me to meet them out front. They said they had a surprise for me."_

_Eri cocked her head to the side, a confused look on her face. "Isn't that a little weird? Shouldn't they have given it to you before you left for school… or after graduation?"_

"_Hmm, I guess so. But their note was pretty specific. See…?" She held up the note that she had shoved in her pocket this morning. "It states they want me to meet them out front. What if they have a car or something…? Oh my God, that would sooo cool!"_

"_Hey, look." Eri said, pointing. "Isn't that your mom?" Then she gasped, paling. "Oh my God!"_

_The terrible sound of screeching metal assaulted their ears, and Kagome turned around just in time to see…_

Kagome jerked awake with a cry of alarm. It was darker in their bedroom than usual, and Kagome rose shaky hands to cover her face despite the fact that Sesshoumaru probably couldn't see. When she felt she had more control, she turned to face his side of the bed, her hand reaching out to pat his shoulder.

He wasn't there.

Crinkling her brow in confusion, Kagome reached over to her nightstand to turn on her lamp, and she froze when light illuminated the room. She was in her old room. Not in the apartment she shared with Sesshoumaru, but her old room at Naraku's estate. She started hyperventilating. How did she get here? Where was Sesshoumaru?

"Ah, you're awake."

The voice of her nightmares spoke from the shadows, and she slowly turned towards the one person she hated more than anything else. She forced her fear down, made her voice sound even as she asked, "How did I get here? Where's Sesshoumaru?"

Naraku smiled, a flash of white in the dark. "That idiot was working when I arrived. Don't worry, I didn't harm a single hair on that man… tonight."

Kagome narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Do you really believe me to be that stupid?" He asked her mildly. "Did you _really_ believe that I would think it a coincidence that Lady Taisho would visit me out of nowhere, a few days after Kagura paid you a visit? Then suddenly my computers crash, and - oh yes! Another coincidence that your former owner happens to be a computer geek. Of course Kagura had been in on it; no one else knew the location of my paper files, or the disks in my safe. I just never thought she'd be stupid enough to do anything about it."

Kagome was shaking by the time he finished, but one word caught her attention. "Former?"

Naraku laughed darkly. "Weren't you listening? My files were destroyed. Kagura burned all of my papers. You then became a paid whore, with no illusions to make you feel better."

At her expression, Naraku smiled again. "It's all illegal, remember? Those documents were a sham. The courts were set up by me. Did you not think that it would cause suspicion if, after every six months, my sluts returned to me? You were nothing. He paid for an illusion, and he got it. Now it's time to wake up from that dream."

"What do you plan to do with me?" She asked shakily, her hands fisting in her blankets.

He laughed again that low, dark laugh. "What don't I plan?" He murmured, his voice thick like oil. "Now that Kagura has been taken care of, we can have a little quality time together." He smiled at her fear. "Don't you agree?"


	110. Panic Button

Standard disclaimer applies.

For _Naqaashi _::waves:: Because I just read JQ, and remembering our earlier conversation about groceries and Sebastian's and horrible quartets somehow made me feel inspired, though I will never quite figure out how.

So thanks, because I almost didn't feel like updating for a very long time.

And I also wanted to thank _Kelpie_, who drew this story an amazing piece of fanart. Come check it out!

(Just remember to take out all the spaces!)

http:/ / www. dokuga. com/ gallery? func= detail&id =6270

…

Maid for You

Panic Button

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru sighed tiredly as he pushed himself out of the elevator and into the hallway, making his slow way towards home. He had already decided to turn his company over to his VP, Hiten, who was both ruthless and motivated enough to do a competent job at overseeing things.

The man was short, compact, and had an air of complete confidence around him that helped Sesshoumaru overlook the fact that the man had hair longer than Kagome's. And it was braided. Sighing, he decided that he truly was exhausted if he was contemplating the particulars about someone else's looks.

He just knew he could not do this anymore. His mother would surely understand, and he did not think she would mind so much. He was unhappy; he missed his old work, the time he had, and the company he shared when he was able to simply look over his shoulder and know he was not alone. A dramatic sentiment, to be sure, but after spending what felt like his entire life in a state of isolation, to have _whom_ he had made him feel lucky and so very, very grateful.

Sesshoumaru was not the best of company even when he attempted to be nice, and even then he tended to be standoffish. The fact was that, truly, he did not like people as a whole. He had liked being alone. When he gave Hiten control of the company, he was sure he would like being alone even more - because that meant he could be alone with _her_.

It was dangerous to become accustomed to one person, and even more so to care as deeply as he did - except that he could not help himself. Kagome was a force to be reckoned with, and he reasoned that if she had not made him fall for her she would have annoyed him to an early grave. She could be quite tenacious when she wanted something, after all, and she had set her eyes on _him_. The least he could do was oblige her and save himself the headache.

He was smiling when he reached the front door of their apartment, and it took a moment of staring at the door for his sluggish brain to catch up and process what his eyes were already telling him.

It was open.

Not much, but enough to tell Sesshoumaru that it definitely wasn't shut. Or locked. The hair at the nape of his neck rose, and while one hand clutched the handle of his briefcase in case he had to use it as an impromptu weapon, the other slowly pushed the door open so he could contemplate the interior of his empty apartment.

And it _was_ empty.

Though he obviously couldn't tell by standing in the doorway, instinct told him that whatever had been in here earlier certainly wasn't here now. Common sense, however, made him search the apartment thoroughly before he felt the first stirring of panic flutter in his gut before spreading up into the vicinity of his heart. He stood in the middle of his bedroom - _their_ bedroom - and clutched at his chest when his heart gave such a painful lurch that he thought he would have a heart attack.

She wasn't here. He knew with a certainty that Kagome would never leave him. He also knew that she wouldn't go to bed without shutting and locking the door. She also wouldn't leave behind a small cloth soaked with a sickly scented liquid, or leave a note on her bedside that clearly stated,

_I win._

Sesshoumaru felt sick. He sat on the bed slowly, his briefcase sliding to the floor when his fingers suddenly lost their strength. This couldn't go on. It _couldn't_. With a sick feeling of dread in his stomach, Sesshoumaru pulled out his cell phone and called the police. When Sesshoumaru first hacked into Naraku's database, he had saved all of his files to sort through so he wouldn't have to hack in there again if he needed to view them, for whatever reason. He would have to show the police. He had no choice. He needed proof, and the only proof would be in his downfall. Hopefully the police would overlook the fact that he what he did was illegal and not have him arrested, and he could only pray that they did not arrest Kagome for what he already feared they would.

But he would rather have her arrested than dead. He was sure she would share his sentiment.

When he got off the phone with the police, he called Inuyasha.

Then he called his mother.

He was not sure where this unfamiliar feeling was coming from, or why he was thinking it now after nearly thirty of years of _not_ thinking it at all. Maybe it was the fact that he was panicked to the point where he thought he couldn't breathe, or the fact that he had never felt as helpless in his life as he did when he realized that Kagome had been taken away from him, and that this time it might be permanent.

And it would be _his_ fault. Because he had been working late when she needed him. Because they executed a plan that hadn't been perfected. Because he let a psycho take her away from him, and he could not rescue her by himself. And that when he did rescue her, it might be too late.

But he just thought - wanted to _believe_ - that if he'd call his mother she would come.

After all, Sesshoumaru could not destroy anyone properly.

His mother, however, _could_.


	111. Rescued by a Dame

Standard disclaimer applies.

Sorry for the long wait! I'll try to update faster in the future!

Maid for You

Rescued by a Dame

By: Luna

...

Kagome tugged sulkily at the manacle that was chained to the wall in Naraku's bedroom, giving her an honorary position at the foot of his bed. Naraku's punishment mainly included isolation and mind tricks. It had only been a few hours, but after leaving her chained to the wall he hadn't been back. She hoped that meant he had forgotten her; she had faith she would be rescued and wouldn't starve for too long.

She wondered about Sesshoumaru, and what his reaction might have been at discovering her gone. She wasn't quite sure how Naraku made it inside the apartment undetected, or how she was transported here, oblivious. Did Naraku leave the scene clean, as if she had deserted him? Or had he trashed the apartment, or taunted Sesshoumaru, or _hurt_ him…

That thought worried her. She would take whatever punishment Naraku gave her if it meant that Sesshoumaru would be safe, though she was positive Sesshoumaru would not agree with her.

Looking around the room, Kagome shuddered. It was like a scene from a BDSM poster ad - though she doubted Naraku used this room for pleasure, and instead enjoyed inflicting nothing but pain. She thought of Kagura with a painful lurch in her heart.

What had Naraku meant when he said she had "been taken care of"? Was she hurt? Was she _dead_? Kagura had been her lifeline at the House when Kagome first arrived. She had been rude and spiteful, hard and demanding, yet after Kagome covered her for an indiscretion the older woman took her under her wing, so to speak.

She had kept Kagome safe from the cattiness from the regular girls, the leering from the men, and somehow persuaded Naraku to leave her alone, despite the desire she saw in his eyes. Kagome loved Kagura like an older sister; she prayed the other woman would be all right, and that once Sesshoumaru rescued her they could look for Kagura.

The door cracked open, and Kagome looked up to see Kikyo leaning up against the doorjamb. The other woman's eyes were cool, her face composed as she stared at Kagome. "So you're Kagura's replacement."

Kagome eyed her warily. "What do you mean?"

Kikyo and Kagome never really got a long; they looked eerily alike, yet their personalities couldn't be any more different. Kikyo had taken an instant dislike to Kagome, and she had never figured out why.

"No one has been able to find her. I thought I'd find her here but instead… I find you." Kikyo gave a small shrug. "I guess Naraku took care of her after all."

"What does that even mean?" Kagome asked desperately.

Kikyo's expression tightened in anger. "Why do you ask such stupid questions? It means exactly what it sounds like. The act is up, you stupid girl. Quit pretending to be so innocent all the time. Do you know how annoying that is?"

Kagome stood up, the chain rattling around her feet. "I'm not acting to be anything. Why do you hate me so much?"

"I don't know." Kikyo cocked her head to the side and studied her curiously. "I guess most people don't need a reason to hate somebody. However…" She looked over her shoulder quickly before glancing back at Kagome. "Kagura liked you. So I guess that's reason enough to help you out. Assuming you wish to escape?"

Kagome hesitated, eyeing her warily. "Assuming I do… _you're _going to help me?"

Kikyo shrugged a shoulder lazily, and reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a key. "I have the means. Let's go, shall we?"


	112. Who?

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

Who?

By: Luna

…

Kagome watched Kikyo carefully as the other woman came forward, her silky black dress with its high slit showing off creamy leg with every step. What did she want? They had never gotten along. She couldn't believe that Kikyo would save her just because Kagura had taken her under her wing.

"Why?" Kagome asked bluntly.

Kikyo hummed low in her throat as she knelt by Kagome's side and reached for the manacle. "I told you."

"I can't believe you. It doesn't make any sense. You and Kagura barely got along, from what I gathered."

"You were barely here a year before someone ordered you. We were here since the beginning." Kikyo returned coolly. "You wouldn't understand the complexities of our relationship. You're just a child, after all."

Kagome was annoyed at this, and yanked her hand away to rub at her wrist the minute she was free. "I'm twenty years old. I'm hardly a child."

"Ohh, twenty. Of course you're an adult." Kikyo mocked. "I must be ancient compared to you."

"I didn't say that." She snapped. "And you're not answering my question. Why are you saving me?"

Kikyo studied Kagome silently for a moment, her brown eyes cool and assessing. Then she looked away. "People like me and Kagura… we're not used to people, men especially, being kind to us without some kind of ulterior motive. I met someone once…"

Kagome's brow furrowed. "Okay… but how does that involve me?"

"You know him." Kikyo told her. "Introduce me when this is all over. Formally."

Kagome only stared. "Are you serious?"

Impatient, Kikyo swiped a hand through the air. "Never mind. I knew you wouldn't understand."

"No, please, tell me." Kagome said, gentle now. "I'm sorry."

Hesitating, Kikyo turned and started leading the way out the door. "A few years ago I had gotten lost. Men approached me with unclean intentions and… he saved me. We spent the day together, and it was…"

She trailed off, the expression in her eyes becoming unusually soft. "It was lovely. Never had anyone been so kind to me before. He never once tried to come on to me, or make lewd suggestions. He held my hand and took me home. I tried to find him for the longest time, but I could never… Well. I never was able to. But then Kagura told me the other day that she knew where to find him and…"

Kagome was shell-shocked as she listened to a woman whom she had already assumed had no heart. Kikyo was cold, and she was hard, and she didn't look out for anyone but herself. To listen to her normally cold voice go soft with what sounded like longing, and her eyes soften with what looked suspiciously like love, Kagome felt that she completely misjudged the older woman.

She was positive Kikyo was all the things she used to think; cold, hard, and calculating. However, underneath all that armor beat the heart of a woman, a heart Kagome hadn't thought she possessed.

But then a thought struck her, and she stopped in her tracks. "Wait a minute. You're not talking about Sesshoumaru, are you?" Because then they would have a big problem on their hands.

Kikyo huffed. "No, I'm not. I'm talking about Inuyasha, his younger brother."

When Kagome's jaw dropped, Kikyo's eyes narrowed in warning. "I'm helping you escape. I'm sure a mere introduction can't be too hard for you to manage, correct?"

Kagome just stared, amazed, before murmuring a faint, "Of course."


	113. Kouga

Standard disclaimer applies.

I know this has taken forever to write, and I want to thank those who have been so patient with me! I will try to regularly update until the end, promise!

...

Maid for You

Kouga

By: Luna

…

"Bravo One, this is Alpha, what's your position?" Captain Kouga of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, barked into his handheld radio.

At first, there was only static, and it made Sesshoumaru want to rip the radio out of the captains hands and demand an answer. Where was she? Was she safe? Was she hurt? Don't tell him she was dead… But he didn't. He waited, barely controlling himself. Since he was a civilian, Kouga refused to let him join the rescue operation, but had relented enough to let him wait outside the mansion with the back up team. Waiting out here, unable to do anything, tore apart Sesshoumaru's insides, but he also knew he would only be a hindrance to the other team.

They were trained professionals in this kind of thing; Sesshoumaru was just a computer nerd.

He wasn't quite sure how or why Kouga had responded so readily to Sesshoumaru's plea, but he would wait to ask until after Bravo One checked in. A squawk came through the radio, and for a moment tension ran high through out the entire group as they waited for a response. The reply was a thin, reedy whisper.

"Entrance is secured, moving further down the main hall. I feel like I'm in a fucking museum; this guy is definitely compensating for something." The mans voice was oddly familiar.

"Yeah, a personality." Someone else whispered through.

"Stop your yakking." Kouga snapped. "You're not in there to joke around. Mind your surroundings and report back with what you find."

"Yes, sir." Chorused out from the team.

Kouga turned to Sesshoumaru, who stood with his arms crossed as he coolly observed the house. A cold bastard, Kouga thought, studying the handsome, expressionless face. When the man had called him with his suspicions about his wife's kidnapping, Kouga had been prepared to blow him off, thinking it likely the woman had ran away from such an austere man. If it hadn't been for the favor he owed Inuyasha, he would have done just that.

"Don't worry," he said, even though it didn't look like the guy was particularly concerned. "We'll get her out."

Sesshoumaru turned cold, flat golden eyes on Kouga, and the captain had to repress a shiver and amended his previous thought: he was one cold, scary bastard. "You had better." Sesshoumaru said softly. "If any harm comes to her, I will place the blame on you, and you have no idea what I can do."

"Are you threatening me?" Kouga asked, amazed. "I'm here trying to save your wife, who likely ran away from a cold bastard like you! That, and I'm a cop. Be careful who you threaten."

Sesshoumaru merely observed him for a moment, and Kouga scowled. Sesshoumaru didn't look very impressed or worried about what Kouga could do. The look in the mans eyes was deadly serious, and it made Kouga question what it was, exactly, that he was capable of. When Kouga told him to stay behind and wait at his house for news, he had refused, but had relented enough to wait and let the team do their work. It was one point in his favor, Kouga thought, that the man could step back and let the others do their work without being difficult.

But there was something about him… Kouga couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe it was in the eyes, he thought. Those cold, hard eyes that were such a bright shade of hazel that made others think they were gold. The face was slightly familiar too, and it took Kouga a minute to place it.

"Well, shit. You're that politicians son, aren't you? Lord and Lady Taisho. That would make you _Lord _Sesshoumaru, technically, wouldn't it?" Kouga stared, a little awed, even as a corner of Sesshoumaru's mouth turned down. This was the closest Kouga had ever been to a person who was considered royalty in some parts of Japan. Then Kouga scowled. "Wait. Does that mean Inuyasha is technically a lord too?"

Sesshoumaru huffed, his eyes never leaving the house. "No. His mother was my fathers mistress, and my father never acknowledged him as family. His birth certificate had only been signed by his mother."

"Ah, so he's just a mutt then." Kouga said, grinning. He would have fun teasing Inuyasha about this when it was all over.

Sesshoumaru's cold eyes rested on Kouga. "I would refrain from calling him that."

Another threat? What kind of messed up family tree was this, Kouga wondered. For years Inuyasha always jibed at Sesshoumaru, and it never seemed like Sesshoumaru actually acknowledged Inuyasha as a brother. Yet, one little hint at ridicule and the man was throwing threats out like they were candy.

"Yeah, yeah." Kouga muttered, turning back to the house. "You can stop threatening me now."

"Hnn." Sesshoumaru turned back too. After a moment, he asked, "Why did you respond to my call? At first you had refused to do anything. Then you call back to inform me your troops were getting ready."

Kouga scowled. "While I _don't_ believe there's anything really going on here, I owed Inuyasha a favor. A big one. He's the only reason I'm here." He shot a glance at the silent man. "I'm _still_ not convinced there's anything going on. I haven't received any evidence to the kind of operation you claim is going on here."

Sesshoumaru frowned, but said nothing. A moment later a voice came through the radio that drew everyone's attention. "Holy shit. Get a medic in here, now!"

Kouga vaguely registered the tension rolling off of Sesshoumaru's stiff form. He picked up the radio. "What the hell is going on there? Have you found the woman?"

"I've found _a_ woman." Hakkaku, Kouga's second in command, whispered. "She's beat up pretty bad. I can't even tell what she really looks like; her face is extremely bruised and swollen and she has lacerations covering her entire body. Send a medical team to get her out of here, captain. She's pretty tore up and I'm not sure how long she'll last. She's lost a lot of blood."

"Okay, mark your location, and continue with the team. We'll follow the beacon's signal."

Hesitation. Then, "Yes, sir. Out."

Kouga looked over at Sesshoumaru. He had his hands at his sides and his fists were clenched, but his stony expression never wavered. Kouga wondered if he truly did love his wife, or if he was only reacquiring her because of how it looked. He knew politicians loved to cover up their dirty little secrets, and though he's never actually read Sesshoumaru's name in the paper linked to either of his parents or if he moved in their circles, he was still positive that Sesshoumaru was hiding something. He just wasn't sure what.

But man, was he a cold fish. He hardly even blinked at the possibility that his wife had been severely attacked. "Don't worry, sir. I have a team moving now to remove her from the household. You can tell us whether or not the vic is your missing wife."

Sesshoumaru said nothing.

Kouga shook his head in disgust and turned his attention back to his team.

* * *

...

Inuyasha looked back at the bloody body of Kagura as the medical team arrived and started working on her ruined form. Kouga may have ordered to leave her where she lay, but he couldn't just leave her there alone. The bloody trail leading down stairs and to the hallway where she had obviously dragged herself told him of her fighting spirit, of her desperation to get to help. It didn't matter if she was unconscious and wouldn't know he was there; he wasn't going to just leave her like that.

Only when she was safely out of the mansion did Inuyasha move the team forward again. Room after room, they searched thoroughly. It wasn't until they moved onto the second floor did they find something. One of the first rooms they entered was filled with several women lounging around in various forms of undress. Inuyasha wondered if this was how the women spent their days until someone ordered them.

When they realized it was the cops there to get them, some looked relieved, others cried and thanked them, while a few only looked annoyed. "Listen up!" He called as the women formed a group in front of him. "Have any of you seen this woman?"

They all stared at the picture he held up. When they didn't say anything, he lifted up the visor of his ballistic helmet and glared at them. "She's the reason you're being rescued, and if you want to get out of here without being charged, tell me where the fuck she is."

A tall, brown haired woman squinted more closely at the photo, then relaxed. "Oh, that one's Kagome."

Another woman frowned. "How can you tell?"

Brown Hair pointed to Kagome's mouth. "She's smiling. See?"

Inuyasha scowled, then looked back at the photo. What were they talking about? "Have you seen her?"

A blonde stepped forward, her green eyes calm and cool. She looked familiar to Inuyasha, but at the moment he couldn't place her face. "Kikyo went to rescue her." She said coolly. "She was locked in Naraku's play pen."

He felt a shiver run up his spine at the term "play pen". He put the picture away. "Where is it?"

"It's down in the basement," Blondie said. "She's probably leading her out by the servants entrance. There's only one way down, and one way up, so you can't miss her."

Inuyasha nodded, then dropped the visor back down. "Are you able and willing to escort everyone out?"

Blondie nodded. "Of course. I suppose I can get the men, too."

Inuyasha suddenly remembered her face. She was on the list that catered to female clients. Her profile hinted at a violent past, and she refused to service male clientele. Inuyasha rolled his eyes behind his shaded visor. "Yeah, please do."

The team rolled out. They still continued searching the second floor, and it was the very last room to the left that Inuyasha found where Kagura's beating took place. Instead of dragging herself out the bedroom door, she had opened what looked like a secret panel in the wall with stairs leading down. The servants entrance, Inuyasha realized. She must have known it was the quickest route to escape. He wondered if she had dragged herself out in the hall and called the other girls to help her, if they would actually help. Perhaps that was why she tried escaping alone rather than draw attention to herself.

When the upper levels of the house was secure, they dropped back down to the main floor and found the entrance to the dark basement. He waited until the blonde sent him a nod from the far end of the hallway indicating that the house was empty of both males and females.

Inuyasha sent her a salute and descended into the darkness.


	114. Rescue Pt 1

Standard disclaimer applies.

Maid for You

Rescue Pt 1

By: Luna

…

When the first wave of people started coming out of the house, Kouga had to stop short and simply stare. It would most likely be the only time in his life a group of gorgeous women approached him at one time in barely-there clothing. When they stopped, uncertain, Kouga found his voice again. "Are you the other women Naraku has kidnapped?"

The women exchanged looks for a moment before a blonde woman stepped forward. "Is that why you're here?"

"Yeah, of course." He said, perplexed. "We received an anonymous tip about Ito kidnapping, among other things. But I had been under the impression that there was only one woman missing."

The blonde hesitated a moment, then slid her eyes over to where Sesshoumaru stood stiffly. Recognition entered her eyes, along with understanding. It left so quickly Kouga wondered if he imagined he saw it at all. "Yes," the blonde said. "We were all kidnapped. Is there a place we can… cover up?"

Kouga pointed to an ambulance stationed at a discreet distance away. "Blankets should be provided for you over there."

The blonde nodded, then continued on her way. It was only after they passed did he notice the men following them. "What the fuck?" he murmured, watching them file past.

Sesshoumaru stepped forward. "Any status report?"

Kouga shot a glare at the impatient husband. "If there had been, you would have heard it. Step back behind the line, please, or leave the scene."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the dark haired captain, and slowly stepped back where he had been before. Kouga frowned at him for a moment before he asked, "Why do you want her back so bad?"

"Have you ever loved a woman, Captain?" Sesshoumaru asked, his cold golden eyes resting on the mansion.

"No," he said grudgingly.

"Then you'd never understand."

"You don't look like you're in love." Kouga countered, wondering why he was even bothering berating a stranger.

"And you hardly seem competent," Sesshoumaru said, his voice icy calm. "Whether you are or not has yet to be seen. You don't know me. As I have learned, look beneath the surface next time you try to understand something."

"Holy shit!"

The expletive cut short any remark he might have shot back. That had been Inuyasha. "What is it?"

"There's another woman down." Inuyasha's voice was thin. After a moment he heard him whisper, "Oh my God. Is this… Kagome?"

Kouga cursed, recognizing the name of Sesshoumaru's wife. He barked out orders he was sure Inuyasha wouldn't follow, then glanced back to where Sesshoumaru stood and cursed again.

He was gone.

…

Inuyasha moved down the basement stairs slowly, the rest of the team flanking him with weapons drawn. Tension ran high; they may not have seen anything yet, but there was a certain chill that settled into their bones as they descended the stairs; something evil was hiding down here. His eyes raced over the darkness, and he ordered his men to turn on their night vision goggles.

They went into a semi-circle formation around the staircase, one man staying on the lower level of the stairs with his rifle pointed up for any possible intruder. Silently, they made their way forward. As they rounded a corner inside the seemingly labyrinth of a basement, Inuyasha froze at the crumpled figure of a black haired woman, then swore.

"What is it?" Barked Kouga, but Inuyasha didn't answer him immediately.

He rushed forward, keeping his weapon up, and swept his eyes around him once before he dropped down to check her pulse. It was still beating strong; she must have been knocked unconscious. "There's another woman down here."

Gingerly, he turned her over, and had to bite back a gasp. "Oh my God… Is this… Kagome?"

The left side of her face was one mottled bruise, as if someone – a man – had put all his strength in punching her. He gently brushed back the thick fall of hair away from her face, slightly frowning. It was Kagome… and it wasn't. This woman looked eerily like his sister-in-law, from her silky black hair, beautiful face, and lithe figure. There were subtle differences, however. There was something almost cold about the woman's face. Slightly thinner than Kagome's, and much more mature. Kagome may have witnessed horrible things in her life, but this woman had _lived_ through them.

"Hey," he whispered, stroking her cheek. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

The woman's eyes fluttered, revealing dark eyes. Inuyasha couldn't be certain of their color in the darkness and with his night vision on, but he guessed her eyes were a different color than Kagome's cool blue. He smiled slightly when she focused on him. "Hey there."

"You're…" She trailed off uncertainly.

"Here to rescue you? You betcha." He helped her sit up. "What's your name?"

"Kikyo." She murmured, holding a hand to the bruised side of her face. Her eyes swept around the darkness. "Kagome," she murmured again. "He took her." She felt his fingers clench convulsively against her skin.

"Took her where?" He asked.

She frowned, shaking her head. "I'm not sure. He came out of nowhere…"

Inuyasha ran a soothing hand down her hair. "Easy. It's okay, you're safe now. Can you make it out of the house?"

Kikyo's eyes focused on his, oddly direct in the darkness. "Yes."

He nodded. "Good. Get out quickly, we'll get Kagome back."

Hesitating only briefly, she accepted his help in standing, swaying only a little before she was helped out of the basement by another cop. Inuyasha gripped his weapon again, his eyes grim. "C'mon, boys. Let's get my sister back."


	115. Rescue Pt 2

Standard disclaimer applies.

To **Shantal**. Thank you! That was the greatest compliment anyone could have given me. Reading it inspired me to get off of my butt and write another chapter. Inspiring you inspired me, and I'll try as well to be better as well. Thank you very much!

Again thanks go out to **Uncoloured**, because you're freaking awesome. Thanks for all the reviews!

BTW, a while ago I promised **dream** that I would warn her of any drama. Well, lady, drama awaits!

::winks::

…

Maid for You

Rescue Pt 2

By: Luna

…

Sesshoumaru stepped through the house, his eyes sweeping the interior quickly. It was as silent as a tomb; the gaudy statues of knights and samurai warriors Naraku had stationed down the foyer made him imagine they were the gate keepers to cemeteries. He checked every room until he found the entrance to the basement, and froze when shots were fired. His heart leapt into his throat and lodged there, and fear for Kagome nearly paralyzed him. Was she hurt? Where was she? Why had they fired their guns?

He started to carefully make his way down the stairs, when an unfamiliar voice reached him, and he stopped. The gun he had bought years ago felt heavy and unfamiliar in the shoulder holster he wore. The only reason he carried it now was because of Inuyasha; before he left to meet with Kouga, he had made the offhand comment about needing to stop by his apartment to pick up his firearm.

That he even had a gun surprised Sesshoumaru, but the fact that he felt he might need one reminded him of the revolver he had bought years ago when Rin died, when he nearly did something to himself that would have made his remaining family sad.

When Inuyasha left he had taken the gun out and stared at it for a long time, memories dark and volatile swimming through his mind before he picked it up and painstakingly started to clean it. He didn't think either Inuyasha or Kouga knew that he had it on; he didn't truly plan to use it, but it gave him an odd sort of comfort wearing it, as if he would be able to contribute in some way even though he wasn't allowed to be part of the rescue operation.

Until he heard that a battered woman was found that might be his Kagome.

If Naraku wasn't dead by the end of the day, Sesshoumaru would was going to rectify that. He didn't care about the other men or women, but nobody would lay a hand on Kagome and live to tell about it.

He crept closer to the opening, but kept his back pressed against the wall as he strained his ears to listen…

…

"Listen, man." Inuyasha started cautiously. "Things don't have to end like this. If you let her go—"

"Let her go?" Naraku sneered, tightening the grip he had on the bitch that ruined everything for him. He was holding Kagome tight in front him. If the idiot policeman tried to shoot him, he'd use her as a shield. "I'm already done for. If I let her go I have no guarantee on making it out of here. Besides," Naraku leaned his head down and nuzzled Kagome's cheek, never taking his eyes from Inuyasha's as he took a step back towards the stairs that would lead him out of the basement. As Inuyasha bristled and Kagome whimpered, Naraku's smile widened. "I've always had my eye on this one. As soon as that idiot Sesshoumaru took what he paid for, she was going to be mine. Kagura was starting to bore me, after all."

Inuyasha advanced a step as well, but stopped when Naraku pressed the knife he held against her throat tighter, cutting her skin, and blood started down her throat in a small stream. Kagome's blue eyes were wide with terror, and her face was chalk white. Looking at her, Inuyasha's heart clenched.

He _had_ to save her. Failure couldn't be an option. Not only would Inuyasha's heart get battered if he failed her, he knew Sesshoumaru wouldn't be able to survive losing her. They were like swans, he thought. They mated for life; when one mate died, the other would kill itself because it couldn't stand life without its other half. A fanciful thought, but it was true.

Kagome was Sesshoumaru's swan, and Inuyasha didn't want to think about life without his older brother. Sesshoumaru had _always_ been there, even when they didn't get along and acted like they hated each other. If Inuyasha lost Kagome, he'd lose his brother as well. He was sure of it.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, the rifle he had up at the ready pointed at Naraku's head. He wasn't always the greatest of shots. If he missed…

Naraku had surprised his entire team. Kikyo had been led away, leaving them one less member, and when they tried exploring the dark basement someone had flipped the lights on. With their night vision goggles they were instantly blinded, and as others were crying out in pain Naraku had rushed up, stabbing many in the unprotected area between their helmets and their bullet proof jackets; right in the neck.

A few men had ripped off their goggles and got a few shots off, but not before Naraku shot them with a pistol at point blank range. Three men went down right before his eyes. As Inuyasha advanced towards Naraku, he had to leave their bodies behind with the promise that he would come back for them. The two other men he had fell shortly after. Touru, was gone; he was the first one Naraku attacked in the dark, and his first kill. Ginta escorted Kikyo out so he hadn't been in danger, and he saw Hakkaku's fingers moving and thought he might still be alive, but he wouldn't be soon unless he had medical attention.

He didn't want to, but if he wanted the others to live he'd have to let Kagome go.

Kagome's eyes still held fear, but understanding as well. "It's okay, Inuyasha. You can't sacrifice those men just for one person. You saved a lot of people today; all those men and women will be able to live normal from now on. Don't worry about me." Her breath hitched a little, especially when Naraku dragged her up the last few steps, but she still whispered, "Don't worry."

At the top, Naraku couldn't resist stopping to gloat. He held the knife out and pointed it at Inuyasha. "You lose again, peasant. Make sure you tell your brother that."

"You can tell him yourself," Sesshoumaru said darkly, stepping out from standing against the wall.

Naraku froze when he felt the barrel of a gun press against the side of his head.

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru said softly. "Close your eyes."

Kagome's eyes closed. Her hands came up to cover her ears.

Sesshoumaru pulled the trigger.


	116. The Aftermath and Conclusion

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Warning:** Adult situations. Fluff. Stuff. Things. Enjoy!

…

Maid for You

The Aftermath and Conclusion

By: Luna

…

Kouga cursed at the static reading over the net, then cursed again and kicked one of the chairs set up around the table holding the radio equipment, sending the chair flying. "Why do these civilians always want to play hero? Damn it, he better not have gone inside!"

Static, then silence on the radio. Everyone fell silent as they heard someone breathing over the net. "Shots were fired; we need emergency medical personnel in here ASAP. The whole team went down. Naraku's dead. I shot him. We're coming out now. Out."

The line went dead, and Kouga cursed again. Knowing Inuyasha, he probably shut off his radio and it would be pointless asking for more information. "Let's go!" He roared. "First responders get your ass inside and get my men! Team Charlie, follow me!"

By time Kouga made it to Inuyasha's location, the EMT's were already working on his men and Inuyasha stood next to Sesshoumaru, who held a trembling woman in his arms. She had blood spatter near the shoulder of her blouse, but the body crumpled a few feet away from her was most likely the reason. Still, she would have to go to the hospital to get checked out for shock.

"You," Kouga snarled, jabbing a finger at Sesshoumaru. "What the hell were you thinking, rushing in here like that? You could have compromised this entire operation! You could have been killed, and it would have put my ass in a sling!"

The girl in Sesshoumaru's arms turned, and Kouga felt his whole world tilt in that one startling instant before righting itself. _She was beautiful._ A goddess among women. Covered in blood and terrorized, but Kouga could have sworn it was love at first sight.

"Please," the goddess whispered. "It was my fault; he came for me. Please don't be angry with him."

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru murmured with a slight reprimand in his voice. He pulled her back against his chest, as if he couldn't stand for her not touching him.

When Kagome's hand rose to cover the one Sesshoumaru placed protectively on her shoulder, Kouga felt as if he had been slapped. _This_ was Sesshoumaru's wife? He understood completely why the man wanted to save her so badly, but at the same time it felt like someone threw a bucket of cold water on him. His dream woman was _married_.

And he had a job to do. He could nurse his broken heart with a bottle of scotch once this disaster was over.

Gritting his teeth, he faced Inuyasha. "What happened?"

Inuyasha went through the scenario, making Kouga curse again, but when he came to the part where Naraku died he hesitated. "I was able to make it to the top of the stairs, where I rushed Naraku. I managed to… end it. Sesshoumaru came in and pulled Kagome away from the body."

Yeah, and he had an "I'm fucking stupid" stamp on his forehead. "That's not your service weapon."

"How would you know?" Inuyasha asked archly. "I'm not part of the police force anymore; I'm a private detective. This revolver was given to me by Sesshoumaru for my birthday a few years ago. I carried it today for good luck."

"Whatever," Kouga muttered. He didn't really care. He could bend the rules a little bit in this case, especially since this one situation probably made his entire career. "Let's get out of this tomb." He turned to Sesshoumaru and Kagome, his voice edged with sarcasm. "I'll need your statements before the end of today. Perhaps you all should write a rough draft to get the facts straight before you come to the station."

Kouga was amazed when Sesshoumaru looked like he was actually considering it._ Fucking nerds_, he thought sourly, turning on his heel to stomp back to the squad cars. He would send a team in to complete the initial assessment. He would go back when he cooled his blood off; he didn't want any distractions during the processing of this crime scene.

…

Showered, dressed, and ready to go, Kagome stepped into the bedroom she shared with Sesshoumaru, watching his hunched form on the bed, the way he cradled his head in his hands. She went to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing him close to her.

He wrapped his arms around her small frame, burying his face against her chest, sighing when he felt her hands stroke up and down his back. He realized she was speaking, and tilted his head slightly to hear her better. She was whispering, "I'm okay, I'm okay," over and over, but he could still feel her trembling. Pulling her with him, he laid back on the bed, curling around her and holding her tight against him.

"You'll never leave me again." Sesshoumaru told her, stroking a hand down her hair. "Not ever. I will not allow it."

The fact that Kagome didn't argue with him spoke more clearly about how badly she had been shaken, and he pulled back just enough so he could see her face. Her eyes were large, staring up at him with a mixture of residual fear and an overwhelming love that humbled him. He wasn't sure who moved first, but their lips met and he couldn't stop himself from pouring every bit of himself inside the kiss, to somehow channel it back to her so she would know what he couldn't put into words.

"Make love to me," Kagome asked with a gasp, tightening her fingers around the collar of Sesshoumaru's shirt as he trailed wet kisses down her throat. "Please. Please, I want to be close to you. Don't let another moment go by without making me your wife in every true sense of the word. Please, please…"

Sesshoumaru pulled back, a worried look in his eyes. Kagome stroked a hand down his cheek. "He can't ruin what we have. Please don't make me wait, Sesshoumaru."

His eyes softened, and he stroked the tips of his fingers across her brow, down her nose, over her lips, memorizing her face all over again through touch. They undressed each other slowly, savoring each sensation, every new discovery. Kagome had known about the gentleness within Sesshoumaru; despite his hard, cold exterior, inside he was a romantic, and she knew she was safe in his arms.

So this was what it was like, Sesshoumaru thought. There had been women, but it had never been like this; it had never felt as if he was discovering a hidden treasure; never felt like he was unwrapping the most precious of gifts for the first time. To know that his hands were the first to ever touch her like this. To know that he was the first – the _only_ – man to put such a mix of love and passion and innocence in her eyes, a flush to her skin.

They made each other sigh, and gasp, and float with a kind of heavy pleasure that made their limbs feel weighed down, their hearts light. Sesshoumaru had never loved someone so achingly tender before, and he never would again. She was it for him. She was _only_ – and always would be.

Only when stars touched her eyes and she reached heaven for the first time did Sesshoumaru allow himself to follow her. He would always follow her, he knew. Where ever she went. Always.

…

It took a few days, but eventually they had to stop giving statements, and when it seemed like Kouga only called them in to talk to Kagome, Sesshoumaru made sure they didn't have to go to the police station anymore. Aiko exerted enough pressure over the press to keep their names out of the paper, and they were finally left alone.

Inuyasha was at the hospital visiting Kagura. She would be physically scarred for life; the only place where Naraku hadn't scarred was her face. Even so, it would take a while for the bruising and swelling to fade around her eyes and mouth.

He had burned her, Inuyasha thought with fury. He had burned a spider across her beautiful back, destroying the dragon tattoo completely, and then he proceeded to torture her some more. She was beautiful to him, no matter how she looked or the dozens of scars that marred her skin. And she was _his_. He would make sure she knew it by the time she left the hospital. He didn't care if Naraku made her hate men. _He_ didn't care if she hated men – as long as she cared for _him_.

She smiled slightly at him. "Thank you for coming to visit so often. Not even Kagome and Sesshoumaru visits so often." She arched her brow, only a shadow of her old arrogance in the move. "Don't tell me you've fallen for me already?"

Inuyasha brushed a strand of hair away from her face. Her whole body was covered in bandages; she was probably too hurt to do it herself. "What if I have?"

Though Kagura's eyes softened, she frowned at him. "What about Kikyo?"

He blinked. "What about her?"

"She should be the one you fall in love with. She's mooned over you long enough." Kagura looked away for a moment. Then, as if she couldn't resist, she looked back at him. "Besides, I'm older than you."

That made Inuyasha grin. "So cradle rob me."

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, but she caught herself and frowned again. "Why aren't you interested in Kikyo? What's wrong with her?"

"Why should I be?" He asked, flabbergasted. "I don't even know her. The few times I have talked to her left me the impression that she was one very hard woman. The kind that has to wear the pants all the time."

"And I'm not?" Kagura asked archly.

It made Inuyasha smile. "Not as hard." He stroked a finger down her cheek. "Definitely softer." He stroked her other cheek. "And I'm sure my pants could fit both of us. Or we could just go without for a while."

"Foolish boy," Kagura murmured, but she was smiling. "We'll see."

He would take her to his mother's house, he thought. Nobody knew how to heal a person's heart like his mother. Out in the country she would be able to relax, enjoy, and learn about him because he knew his mom would never keep her mouth shut. She'd fall for him eventually, he thought. He didn't want to think that she wouldn't.

"Where is Kagome today?" Kagura asked, looking behind him as if she'd be able to see Kagome sailing through the door any minute.

"You don't want to see Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha teased. "He helped rescue you, you know."

Kagura rolled her eyes. "To see Kagome would be to see Sesshoumaru. He doesn't let her out of his sight for an instant, the domineering brute."

Her voice was arch, but there was something wistful in her expression. Inuyasha leaned forward with meaning. "It's okay. I'll domineer over you as much as you like."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Where are they?"

"They're packing," he said, leaning back with a grin. "They've decided to leave Japan for a while. I guess his mother hooked them up with an around the world cruise. I have a feeling they might stay in every port they visit for a while before catching the next boat. Once they leave we might not see them for a couple of years."

"I'm glad. I've never met two people who seem so perfectly made for each other." Kagura said, smiling. "They deserve it – as long as they remember to see me before they leave. And to write. I myself don't think I'd ever be able to leave Japan. Maybe I'll live in the country somewhere for a while…"

Inuyasha grinned again. "I know the perfect spot. Let me tell you about this place I know…"

…

Kagome smiled happily as she looked around the empty apartment. Everything was cleared out and put into storage, and all goodbyes were taken care of. A lot of Naraku's victims went back to their loved ones, but for the most part they all disappeared. Kikyo vanished shortly after Kagura and Inuyasha disappeared to the country, but Kagome could admit that she didn't exactly try to learn her whereabouts. Sango left Miroku once he revealed his past, but she confided in Kagome and told her she just wanted to make him sweat for a while before she took him back.

Aiko had decided that Sesshoumaru wasn't fit to take over his father's empire yet, and firmly booted him out the door with cruise tickets and a smile. Now all that was left was for them to leave. Everything was turning out just fine, and Kagome knew it was all because of the hard work of Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Aiko.

Sesshoumaru appeared behind her, bending slightly to nuzzle the top of her head. Kagome turned and smiled, then reached on her tiptoes and kissed him. Sesshoumaru smiled slightly, the cold in his eyes thawing a bit as he looked at her.

"Are you ready?" He asked, holding his hand out to her.

Kagome turned back around, tears pricking her eyes. So much has happened… She remembered everything. The fear, the anxiety, and the odd excitement she felt when she looked at Sesshoumaru's picture for the first time and was told that he would be her new husband. She remembered his surprised face when inside the box revealed Kagome, and the confusion and the happiness and the love that quickly followed. It had been such an adventure… Was she ready to leave it all behind, to once again close a door to her past and start a new adventure?

"Yes," She said with a smile, and took her husband's hand.

They both shut the door to the apartment, and locked it behind them with a resounding _click_.

~FIN~

**Authors note: **Thank you, thank you, _thank you_ to everyone who has read _**Maid for You**_, and especially to those who have been with me from the very beginning and never gave up on me even when it seemed as if I disappeared for a while. This story has been epic for me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your reactions, compliments, and fan art have been greatly appreciated, and helped motivate me throughout this story. I'd like to point you guys in the direction of a new story I've started, titled _**The Peasant Prince,**_ A Cinderella story. A new 100 word, 100 chaptered story that I hope you will enjoy, inspired from Dokuga's Cinderella Drabble Drawble Night.

Until next time!

~Luna~


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